A Moment of Mercy
by Ariaeris
Summary: Faced with the consequences of a split-second choice, Eliwood's decision to spare Lloyd's life sets in motion destinies long thought unchangeable. Lloyd/Eliwood, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, and many others. Slash, het, and Yuri all reside here.
1. Chapter the First

As my friends in the Harry Potter fandom would be able to tell you, today is my birthday, and as a gift to all my friends I updated all my fics that weren't already finished. While I was doing so though, I came upon this story that I was writing. I had originally planned to complete this story before I posted it so I wouldn't have to fear for writer's block, but with some positive encouragement, I made the decision to post this chapter earlier than intended.

Continuing my never ending desire to fill the Fire Emblem fandom with my twisted creations, I present to you all the very first Lloyd/Eliwood slash fic! Going far past my Volug/Ike fic, which actually had a basis in canon, I am pairing a dead man and Eliwood, father of Roy, together.

Obviously some Willing Suspension of Disbelief will be necessary here.

If you haven't been scared away though, I hope you enjoy this work of fiction!

Don't forget though, like I said, today is my birthday and reviews are excellent presents! besides you'll earn my eternal love and devotion, and what could be better than that?

Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six from this work's universe, Swearing, Violence, Mature material. Also, Mark is the name of the Tactician. Might seem like a logical assumption, but I thought I'd point it out to anyone who thought I was writing a self-insert or an OC or something.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Others to be determined.

* * *

_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 1: A Moment that could change a Lifetime – or a World._

_"The moment you thought that thought…the future changed forever."_

_-Ichihara Yuuko, xxxHoLic_

* * *

Swords clashed in a spray of sparks, and Eliwood grit his teeth and set his legs, holding out as best as he could against his foe. Lloyd of the Black Fang was one of the fiercest enemies he had ever faced, and the redhead's body trembled slightly as he looked into the other's eyes. Resolution, determination, the will to succeed; this man was unlike any other he had ever faced. Uhai had been resigned, Darin delirious in his madness, but this man was startling in his quiet ferocity.

If he faltered for but a moment, if his will wavered for just a second, then it would be over; Lloyd would show no mercy and his blade would mean the end of Eliwood's life.

Eliwood leapt away, steadying his breath so that he did not lose his composure. What could he use to distract his opponent long enough to create an opening so that he could seize victory? He had already tried questioning the other's devotion to the Black Fang, tried weakening his resolve in an effort to stop this battle before any of his own troops were harmed, but Lloyd's loyalty was startling and he had made no headway with the spiky-haired blond.

Lloyd's mission was simple; to eradicate Eliwood and his band of followers at all costs and, from the coldness in his eyes, there was no doubt that he would do everything in his power to complete his mission fully.

Eliwood had never liked killing, but he loved many things and, while many saw that as a weakness, for Eliwood it was his greatest strength. By thinking of those he loved, those who he would die to protect, he found the will to continue on, to take the life of another. He found no pleasure in it, but that love that bound him to his friends and his compatriots kept him from falling into the insanity that usually follows when an innocent soul is thrust into the heat of battle.

He had skill though, natural talent with the blade, though he did not advertise it often and, though it was foolish, he kept that talent from the battle field often. The few who knew of his skill thought that he kept it concealed as a tactic that could turn the tides of a battle; that he could wear down an enemy and then suddenly strike them down with a sudden influx of power.

That was not the case though; Eliwood hated battle, hated bloodshed, hated violence. Perhaps that wasn't the greatest of propensities in a world where violence was the wont of men and diplomacy was something thought to be kept for women, but Eliwood had never bothered with the social norms of his day and age. Instead, as he had grown, he had focused less on his natural talent with the blade and more on his skill with words, and soon he had been skilled enough to call himself a skilled debater and a better diplomat, and many times this talent had ended struggles before they had gotten out of hand.

Even Hector, whose love for battle was matched only by Eliwood's revulsion for it, took notice of his skill, and many a time the blue-haired Ostian would complain that if only Eliwood was not royalty, he would sweep him up so that he could stay at his side as a formal diplomat for Ostia.

Eliwood had always replied as if Hector had been joking, but his closest friend's words always filled his heart with a sense of joy with a smaller, but noticeable, amount of dread that he was missing something that was right before his face but that he always failed to notice. Nevertheless, Eliwood took pride in his skill as a diplomat and a wielder of words, but he was not naïve in the slightest.

There were some times when words were meaningless and, though he loathed making use of it, his talent at fencing became his most important asset. Much like now, faced with cold-eyed death in the form of a gold-haired swordmaster, he needed to harden his heart and pick up his blade, and pray that he would be forgiven for yet another murder.

* * *

Lloyd slid backwards gracefully, steadying himself smoothly and instinctively. His opponent, Eliwood of Pherae, was doing an admirable job of composing himself.

To tell the truth, the young man did not seem to be of a bad sort. Still, he was marked for the judgment of the Black Fang, and that was final. And, if his heart had felt the briefest fluttering of hesitation, the briefest regret that he would be killing what seemed like a just and honorable man instead of the sniveling swine usually brought to justice by his hand, then he had swiftly crushed whatever form of resistance that stood between him and the completion of his mission.

Wary blue eyes traced his figure, and Lloyd leaned back, coiled like a viper ready to strike and smirked. One more blow and it would be over; at the very least, he could make sure it was painless.

* * *

Eliwood drew in a long, deep breath, raising his sword up so that it was vertical in front of his face, blocking his view of the enemy for but a second. Though it left him unguarded for a moment, something that could be fatal considering what a deft swordmaster he was up against, he treasured that short moment. It was almost as if he could imagine that he was not on the battlefield, that he was back at home, with Mother, and Marcus, and Father…

Later. He would have time for regrets later. His rapier was swung down in a quick arch, almost as if not by his will, the movement causing his blade to blur and Eliwood swore that he could see his enemy's eyes widen in shock for the briefest of moments. It was gone in the next moment though, and Eliwood lunged forward, his body blurring and his rapier poised to strike right through the other's heart.

Against a slower foe, the strike would have been an instant kill, the thin blade slipping through a normal man's ribcage to pierce directly through the heart. Luck was on Lloyd's side that day though, and he had time to move his blade upwards in a rudimentary form of defense, but it was enough to divert the redheaded lord's attack. Instead of the blonde's heart, the blade struck his right shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain and unintentionally drop his sword.

Eliwood grit his teeth in irritation; he did not want to drag this battle out, and now he would have to fight an enemy in pain. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him. 'How could you hurt someone, you said you would never hurt someone, never take up a blade against another, never cause harm where it could be avoided. You can't even kill someone properly!'

Wrenching his blade through Lloyd's shoulder, causing the blond to yelp in pain once more, Eliwood steadied himself and back flipped away from the other, thinking quickly. Reaching towards his hip, he exchanged his rapier for the light brand Matthew had found recently in the desert of Nabata, and used it to cast a quick spell towards the swordmaster.

A quick thrill of excitement coursed through Eliwood's body as he watched the spell provide the deciding blow, sending Lloyd into unconsciousness without killing him. He…he didn't have to kill him now! Though, if he didn't act fast, the wound he had inflicted with his rapier would anyway.

The last thing Eliwood wanted was for another to die while he could do something about it. Father…Father had died because he could do nothing to aid him, and in that one bleak instant when his father's life had fled him eternally, Eliwood had felt that all he had done in his journey to attempt to save his Father had been useless. He had fought for nothing, he had killed for nothing, he had broken every promise he had ever made to himself and had become a murderer…for nothing.

True, he had a new goal in heart now, a new goal to give him an excuse for sullying his soul with the blood of others. And yet, if he could save but one life, if he could spare one person because of his actions, then he would take that path without hesitation. He would spare the life of another, even one who had been determined to kill him, so that he would not have to add one more face to the endless procession of nightmares that haunted him every time he shut his eyes.

At that moment, when Eliwood decided to spare the life of Lloyd of the Black Fang, fate itself changed intrinsically, and their separate destinies became forever intertwined.

Unbeknownst to the cosmic upheaval that his decision had caused, Eliwood had moved beside the unconscious swordmaster, rolling the blond over onto his back and examining the wound he had caused him. The redhead flinched; though he was no medic by any means, he could tell what a fatal wound looked like and it appeared that that is what he had inflicted upon the other. Bowing his head, Eliwood quickly gathered his thoughts, trying to figure out how he would stop Lloyd's impending death.

"Mark?" Eliwood murmured, glancing at the quiet tactician who had stood quietly off to the side until now, his eyes solemn, as if he alone understood what was taking place before his eyes.

"Eliwood," Mark answered quietly. "Do you think this is wise?" He asked, waving a thin hand at Lloyd's unconscious form, already knowing what Eliwood was planning.

"No, it is not," Eliwood admitted. "It is right, though."

Mark was silent for a long moment before nodding once in affirmation. "We should call Lucius; though his training with staves is mediocre at best, Priscilla is too weak-willed to be the keeper of this secret and trusting Serra at this point in time with keeping this situation quiet is unfeasible."

"You're right; call Legault as well," Eliwood muttered, worrying his lip as he pondered if trying to staunch the blonde's blood flow with his cape with be detrimental or not.

"Legault?" Mark questioned.

"It is a bit of a gamble, but Legault was a member of the Black Fang before, right? If anyone would wish to see this man to health once more, than it would be him. I can only hope that there was no bad blood between them; I don't think we could stop Legault if he truly wanted to kill someone, especially with me in this state," Eliwood chuckled weakly, sinking to his knees beside Lloyd. "Ow."

"Lucius!" Mark shouted in the blonde's general direction. "Come over here with a healing staff, and Legault, you come as well." Mark turned to kneel beside Eliwood. "Anyone else?"

"None that I can think of at the moment," Eliwood replied, unclasping his cape and peeling off his gloves.

"Are you alright?' Mark asked, his grey eyes flittering over Eliwood's body quickly. "You don't seem to be any more wounded than usual, but…"

"I'm just tired, my friend," Eliwood assured, wiping some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "The last maneuver took a bit out of me, and facing this man in battle was not an easy task by any means."

"I see," Mark murmured, and he stood up straight as Lucius came to a stop beside them.

"Lord Eliwood, Sir Mark." The blonde panted, clutching his staff tightly. "Are you harmed, my lord?"

"We are fine, Lucius." Eliwood smiled reassuringly, standing as well, though slower than Mark had. "We actually called you to help this man." Eliwood said, pointing to the rapidly paling Lloyd.

Lucius move over to stand beside the other blond before shaking his head in resignation. "Lord Eliwood, this is far beyond my healing expertise. I do not believe I could do anything for this man; if I tried to heal him fully, then I could seriously hurt him."

"Hurt him worse than death?" Mark questioned wryly.

"Even if I saved him from death, I could easily make a mistake trying to heal his muscles or reattach the tendons that had been torn," Lucius said firmly, and Eliwood felt a smile quirk his lips. It seems like Lucius could be quite stubborn when need be. "He would be in excruciating pain for the rest of his life if I made a single error. I would not risk it; Priscilla, or even Serra, would be much more suited for this job then I."

"Is there truly nothing you can do, Lucius?" Eliwood asked, worried that of they waited any longer, they would not be able to save the swordmaster's life.

"I would not be able to do this in good faith," Lucius replied.

"What's the hold up?" A smooth voice questioned from behind the trio, and Lucius and Eliwood whirled around, startled by Legault's sudden presence. Mark chuckled quietly in amusement, and Legault's smirk caused the two to blush, furiously in Lucius' case and faintly in Eliwood's.

"Legault," Eliwood said seriously, and the lavender-haired thief's smirk fled his pale face. "I need to know if you can keep a secret; it involves the wellbeing of someone."

"I am a thief, Lord Eliwood," Legault chuckled. "We aren't well known for keeping promises or secrets and, for the right amount of money, I might be persuaded to-" Eliwood stepped to the side, and Legault's joke fell flat, the thief's eyes widening as he caught sight of Lloyd's rapidly bleeding body. "Lloyd?" Legault hissed, turning to look at the redheaded lord in shock.

"Yes," Eliwood affirmed, watching as a variety of emotions flitted through Legault's eyes.

"Why did you call me here?" Legault questioned quietly, his hand almost imperceptibly shifting toward his dagger.

"I wish to save this man's life," Eliwood said firmly, staring directly into the thief's eyes.

The lavender-haired man's hand dropped to his side, and he stared dumbfounded at the lord. "Are you serious?" He hissed. "This man tried to kill you from the looks of things, and you want to spare him?"

"Yes," Eliwood replied, glancing quickly at the blond swordsman before returning his gaze to Legault. "Will you keep this a secret?"

"Eliwood, I…" Legault stuttered, dropping formalities in his shock. "Lloyd failed in the mission allotted to him; to assassinate you, right?" At Eliwood's nod, Legault continued. "By Black Fang law, he should be killed." Legault chuckled breathlessly, running his hands thorough his long hair. "Good thing were not the Black Fang, right?"

"Yes," Eliwood agreed, turning to face Mark and the stunned Lucius. "Will you two keep this a secret as well?"

"Yes, Lord Eliwood," Lucius said, nodding once. "It would be against my nature to let a man, even an enemy, die needlessly." Eliwood smiled at the blonde; he could emphasize with him.

"I will keep this a secret as well," Mark answered. "We should act quickly though, or there will be no secret to keep."

"You're right." Eliwood said. "Can either of you give an estimation for how long we have left before Lloyd dies?" The words tumbled off Eliwood's lips awkwardly, and Legault looked amused for a brief moment. Eliwood was not a natural leader by any means, though he did quite admirably at the position he had been forced by birth in to. It would be a while before he became proficient at it though.

Lucius examined the swordsman with a critical eye before sighing. "Ten minutes, maybe? He has lost a lot of blood."

"It doesn't matter," Legault smirked, waving a crystal blue vial in the air.

"An elixir?" Eliwood asked, shocked. "Where did you get something like that?"

"Picked it up in Valor," Legault replied. "Does it really matter? It will heal Lloyd over there perfectly. The real question is, milord, what will we do with Lloyd once he is healed?"

Eliwood was silent for a long moment, Lucius and Mark standing next to him, equally as quiet. Legault stared at the red-haired noble, his gaze assessing.

"It is unlikely that no one but the four of us saw Lloyd; many would be able to identify him as a man who had fought opposed to us. Not to mention Heath would have heard of him, since he once resided in Bern, as well as anyone else in this army who was born or lived in Bern, for they probably would have heard of Lloyd of the Black Fang. He is one of the Four Fangs, right Legault?" Eliwood mused.

"You seem quite aware of the situation we are in, Lord Eliwood," Legault said.

"I am a noble; even though I am not from Bern, I have heard of the Black Fang, though merely as the figments of some shadowy legend. I never thought they were real until faced with their existence, but I am not totally unknowledgeable of them as well," Eliwood stated.

"Quite naïve of you, to think of the Black Fang as mere myths," Legault chuckled.

"Yes; until recently, my life has been the perfect example of naïveté. Though, that quickly changed on the battlefield," Eliwood said, eyes clouded in thought.

"One should not be thrown into battle so unprepared, Lord Eliwood," Lucius murmured, observing as Legault tipped Lloyd's head back, massaging his throat as he poured the elixir into the blond swordmaster's mouth. "Did you know Lloyd well, Legault?"

"Not as well as I would like," Legault replied, grinning roguishly as the blond bishop blushed hotly. "Oh please, Lucius; everyone knows what you and Raven are doing in the dark, and I would bet money that Eliwood is as gay as the two of us."

"Should I pay you for that winning bet?" Eliwood chuckled wryly.

"Lord Raymond and I have never done, done something so – so uncouth!" Lucius stuttered, face aflame.

"No comments on my sexuality, Legault?" Mark questioned idly, watching Lucius' spontaneous combustion amusedly.

"In order, you can give me a kiss later Eliwood, no use denying it Lucius, you're a screamer, and Mark, everyone knows your reproduce asexually," Legault grinned deviously, sending the redhead a wink.

"I'll give you an I.O.U., and really Lucius, did you not ever wonder why everyone in the army purchased earplugs soon after you joined?" Eliwood said, smiling at the blonde gently.

"I, I don't know what to say," Lucius blushed, hiding his face in his hands.

"I've decided celibacy is a good idea?" Legault offered innocently, and Lucius shot him a dirty look.

"Now, now, girls, break it up," Mark deadpanned, and Eliwood snickered as the two long-haired males started at the tactician's sudden interruption. "We need to get Lloyd to a safe location, away from prying eyes."

"We can put him in my tent," Eliwood offered.

"Doesn't Lord Hector sleep with you?" Lucius asked, biting his lip as he thought.

"I bet he does," Legault muttered inaudibly.

"It is fine, Lucius, I'll just tell Hector to visit Oswin or someone else for the night; Hector always does whatever I order him to do," Eliwood said.

"Kinky!" Legault chirped, watching as the redhead tried his hand at blushing.

"What, no, I didn't – pervert!" Eliwood shouted, throwing one of his gloves at the laughing thief.

"I hate to end the revelry," Mark said monotonously. "But we really need to hide Lloyd now if we want any chance at keeping his presence a secret."

Sure enough, it was but a moment later that the sound of steady footsteps coming ever closer reached Eliwood's ears, and the redhead addressed the lavender-haired thief seriously. "Bring Lloyd to my tent and, if possible, stay there. Lucius, Mark, if we are separated, come tonight after sunset, and don't let anyone know you're coming. I want to discuss what we are going to do about Lloyd then, alright?"

"Yes, Lord Eliwood," Lucius replied with a smile, and Mark gave a quick nod as well.

"Okay, go Legault," Eliwood said.

"Right away," Legault said, hefting the swordmaster up onto his shoulders, a surprising feat for someone who appeared so slender, and quickly running off into the trees surrounding the area.

"Do you know what you are doing, Lord Eliwood?" Lucius asked after a moment, staring at the redhead, his blue eyes uncertain.

"Truly, no Lucius, but I believe that good will come from this decision," Eliwood murmured, and Lucius nodded, smiling assuredly at the redhead.

"I'm sure it will; even though it may not seem like it at the time, an act of kindness is always repaid in full," The blonde bishop stated, and there was power in his words, power enough to stifle the niggling fears that had already begun to rise in Eliwood's heart.

"Thank you. Lucius, Mark, come. Further hesitation and the army will begin to be suspicious," Eliwood said, and the three left to rejoin the army, though Mark hesitated for a moment, grey eyes looking at the place where Eliwood had struck down Lloyd.

Something had changed, but for better or worse he could not tell. The tactician shrugged and walked with Eliwood and Lucius back towards the arm, not noticing a set of frigid gold eyes watching their every step.

* * *

So, first thoughts anyone? Should I continue, or would it be best if I sack this fic? I would love to hear from some readers, so be sure to review if possible (especially since it's my birthday!). As Lucius said, "an act of kindness is always repaid in full." And by full, I mean my eternal devotion and love. Which might result in oneshots with a pairing of your choice if you ask nicely.

Regardless of reviews or the lack of, the next chapter will be posted in a few days (though I would still love some constructive criticism so that I can improve!).

Until then,

Ariaeris~

Ps: As with the Harry Potter fandom, I will continue with a tradition that I have had since I first started posting fanfictions. The first ten people who send me in reviews or PMs with a pairing of their choice (anything goes) will get a short story written for that pairing. Because of a personal lack of knowledge of Fire Emblem before FE7, I am only able to accept requests for FE7 and on.

So send in the reviews and claim a spot as one of the ten who gets a short story written in their name! And yes, before you ask, this is a shameless and completely obvious way to get people to review. You get rewards though, so it all evens out!


	2. Chapter the Second

Here it is; the second chapter, as I promised. I'm actually having a lot of fun with this little pet project of mine. Hopefully all you readers will come to enjoy this story just as much as I am; after all, doesn't every writer aspire to affect his or her audience in some way? If so, then hopefully you will finish this chapter, and this story eventually, a little more pleased than when you began it.

Oh yes, I've decided to not make this the epic I was planning on making it. Short reason why; laziness. Long reason; school will take up my time, especially choosing colleges and SATs and stuff, so I decided to shorten it a bit. I'm still planning on this being quite long though, so no worries there.

Oh, and the focus on total seriousness is gone; although this story is not completely humorous, there will be some humor here and there. It just won't surpass the overall seriousness of the fic.

Also, there are still **seven**open spots for requested pairings. If you take a quick peek at my profile, you can see the three already requested...and from there, you can see that I will do any pairing. In fact, I'm hoping that I will be able to fill one of the requests by Saturday, or at least begin to fill it. It is shaping to be a short, multi-chaptered story, so we will see where it goes from there.

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Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe, Swearing, Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Others to be determined.

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_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 2: Roads oft-Taken are not always the Smoothest._

_"Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"_

_-Sabriel_

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The campground was for the most part deserted, a fact which Legault praised Lady Luck for, and the lavender-haired thief managed to drag his cargo to Eliwood's tent without being seen. Legault spared a moment to gaze enviously at the lord's tent; even sharing with Lord Hector, Eliwood had a much larger tent than anyone else in the army, before carefully lowering Lloyd onto one of the two bedrolls on the ground.

"You're one lucky little shit, you know that Lloyd?" Legault whispered, checking over the blond's newly healed shoulder with a critical eye. "Anyone less than Eliwood would have killed you on the spot."

Legault plopped down next to the blond after drawing his sword, clutching his knees against his chest. He would guard Lloyd on Eliwood's behalf; after all, he had no wish to let Lloyd die so easily either.

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"Eliwood!" Hector shouted loudly, causing the addressed redhead to give his friend a pained grin. He was currently planning on deceiving almost the entirety of his army in order to save an enemy swordmaster for no logical reason other than he could, and Hector's overly loud voice was not sitting well with his rapidly forming migraine that plan was causing.

"Hector, it is good to see you unharmed," Eliwood whispered, rubbing his throbbing temple. Lyndis, who was standing by Hector's side, gave him a concerned glance, but Eliwood smiled slightly to show that he was alright.

"I'm fine, of course, but it was you I was worried about!" Hector exclaimed, causing Eliwood to wince. "Your skill with a sword has surely increased, but I know you are still hesitant to fight one on one with the enemy; it is your nature. I was only worried that you had gotten injured trying to be diplomatic with one who is not worth your time or words."

Eliwood felt a moment's annoyance at his friend's statement, before he realized that Hector was right. How close had he come to death because he had let down his guard trying to talk Lloyd out of fighting? The redhead sighed; though he was not ashamed of his more peaceful nature, Hector was right. He should not be so ready to show mercy against a group such as the Black Fang that was so set upon causing his death.

"Thank you for your concern, Hector, but I am fine," Eliwood said, smiling at his oldest friend.

"If you are fine," Hector murmured, his dark blue eyes roving over Eliwood's face. "Then I am as well."

"I am," Eliwood nodded.

"Good," Hector said softly. "I would hate for you to be harmed."

"Worry less about me, and more about yourself, my friend," Eliwood rejoined, his face flushing for reasons he did not fully understand. "From what I saw, you had quite a few close calls!"

"No; death would not reach me so easily, so long as you were by my side," Hector chuckled, his eyes sparkling with hidden knowledge. "Together we could do anything."

Off to the side, Lyndis was chuckling softly, her hand covering her mouth in a futile effort to stay her laughter. At Eliwood's side, Lucius had become flushed once more, looking quickly between the two lords in shock. And Eliwood? He was dumbfounded, a cold wave of emotion rising slowly within him as for the first time, he began to realize just why his blue-haired friend looked at him the way he did.

"Come, don't joke so freely, Hector," Eliwood chided, pushing away his thoughts for a later time.

"Though I am known for the occasional boast, I can speak only truthfully when concerned with matters important to me," Hector grinned, apparently pleased with Eliwood's blush. "Come, Lyn; I promised you a spar a while back, and I fully intended to keep my promise; I always do."

"Right away, Hector," Lyndis said. "Can I talk to you later, Eliwood?"

"Of course, Lyndis," Eliwood replied, shocked. "You should know by now that you do not need an invitation to speak to me!"

"I know," Lyndis smiled secretively, and Eliwood was surprised to see hidden nervousness lurking in her eyes. "But it is an important matter that I wish to speak with you of, and I don't want any interruptions for this."

"I will be free tonight," Eliwood offered, his genial smile telling nothing of his inner uncertainty. He could not refuse Lyndis' request lest she become suspicious, but he prayed that she did not ask to use his tent as their meeting place.

"Thank you, Eliwood," Lyndis smiled, relieved. "I will stop by your tent in a while; it will be suitably tucked away from prying eyes for what I wish to tell you." With her mind at ease, Lyndis jogged away before Eliwood could stop her.

"That might be a problem," Lucius whispered after a moment.

"We need to get back to Legault," Eliwood replied. "From there, we can figure out what to do next."

"Right," The blonde bishop agreed.

"Come, let us go before anyone else discovers Lloyd's presence," Eliwood said, walking quickly back towards the campground, Lucius and the oddly more silent than usual Mark by his side.

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Legault heard the trio approach the tent long before they actually entered, and he greeted them with a devious smirk and a sheathed blade. "Took you three long enough; do something without me?"

"No," Mark deadpanned, glancing briefly at the still unconscious swordmaster before moving to sit in the far corner of the tent.

"How is he?" Eliwood asked concernedly as he and Lucius moved to sit beside Legault.

"He's fine, the big baby," Legault huffed. "The elixir healed him completely, but he hasn't woken since you knocked him out. Right now he's just resting like the lazy little fu-" The thief looked towards the blonde bishop. "Fiend he is."

"Nice save," Eliwood commented sarcastically, and Legault chuckled lowly as Lucius blushed once more. "We will have to break you of the habit, Lucius."

"Yeah, who knows what random guy will just throw you down and go to town on you after seeing that irresistible blush," Legault winked, sending the bishop into near hysterics.

"Please don't speak so…perversely with me!" Lucius exclaimed, his face a fluorescent red.

"Do shut up before he smites you," Mark ordered, drawing a tome from the folds of his emerald robes.

"I would never smite someone!" Lucius yelled.

"You can smite someone?" Eliwood asked in a moment of curiosity.

"And compel people as well, if the rumors are true," Legault added.

"I can do neither of those things," Lucius pouted, crossing his arms petulantly over his chest.

"Never thought I'd see a priest throw a hissy fit…" Legault mused, a wide grin stretching his lips. "Though I have seen a few clerics…"

"Elimine compels you to be silent or risk her wrath by way of her avatar on Earth," Lucius hissed, and the collective brows of the three conscious men rose in shock. Apparently Lucius could lose his temper, and he was scary while angry. Very scary.

"Though that little diversion was amusing," Eliwood said after a moment of stunned silence in which Lucius had covered his mouth with his hands in horrified surprise. "Shouldn't we be getting back to the matter at hand?"

"Wow," Legault whispered, eyes wide. "You are very beautiful when you are angry, Lucius." The thief turned his roguish grin towards Eliwood. "You seem to be a little less informal with us than with the rest of the army; will I someday be able to see you so flushed with anger as well?"

"Not in this realm, though if you are lucky, I might visit you in your dreams," Eliwood said wryly.

"Ah, a spitfire," Legault said, nodding his head in a mockery of sagacity. "So this is who you truly are, Eliwood? I think you will be quite amusing to observe in the days to come."

"What are you talking about Legault; do you know of something that I do not?" Eliwood asked, his brow furrowed in irritation.

"Of course not, my Lord," Legault purred. "I would never keep a secret that could be dangerous to our army from your knowledge." Eliwood and Lucius accepted the thief's answer, the former more hesitantly than the latter, but Legault did not miss the cool gray glance that lingered at his back. The thief shivered slightly; he had met many people over the course of his life, but none seemed so…knowing as Mark was.

It would be prudent to watch the tactician closely from now on and, almost as if he could read the thief's thoughts, Mark let out a soft chuckle, inaudible to all but Legault.

"Um, Lord Eliwood?" Lucius asked hesitantly, fidgeting as the addressed nobleman turned to face him.

"Please, Lucius, drop those unnecessary honorifics while we are together; Legault did so fast enough," Eliwood said, glaring at the grinning thief.

"Sorry milord, but I though that since we are housing a hostile enemy that could potentially turn the entire army against us in a fit of entirely justifiable betrayed rage, we were close enough to speak without all those tedious formalities," Legault smirked as Lucius paled slightly but remained firm; seems like the bishop had a bit of a backbone after all.

"I hate it when you phrase it like that," Eliwood muttered, glancing at Lucius in concern.

"Why sweeten the truth with honeyed words?" Legault asked, quirking a lavender brow. "Would you wish me to lie to you, milord?"

"No; speak only the truth to me, Legault," Eliwood snapped, annoyed by the thief's behavior. "I can handle the truth, no matter what it is you wish to say to me."

"As you wish," Legault said, his face solemn for a moment. "To you, I shall never lie again."

"Have you lied to me before?" Eliwood questioned, unsure of how to take Legault's promise. Something was off about this situation...why would Legault promise such a thing?

"Yes," Legault said without hesitation.

"Do I wish to know what it is you have lied to me about?" Eliwood inquired.

"Probably," Legault replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It would be best to reign in your curiosity for the moment though, Eliwood."

"...Fine. I will take your advice for now, but please consider the consequences of any further deception; my trust is not easily recovered once lost," Eliwood murmured, staring at the thief.

"Do not speak to me about trust, Eliwood," Legault said coolly, and Eliwood was reminded suddenly that this was a dangerous assassin he was speaking with, one who owed him no loyalty whatsoever. "To me, Lloyd is someone very important - though I thank you for sparing him and providing him with what little sanctuary you have to offer, do not think that I am reliant on your mercy. I can take care of Lloyd well enough on my own."

"It would certainly be easier with the help of others though, especially that of professional healers," Lucius said, joining the duo's conversation.

"And easier still without having to worry about the presence of thirty or so people who would all be far too happy to eliminate one of the Black Fang's Four Fangs," Legault smirked.

"Enough," Mark interrupted. "Stop squabbling."

"Mark is right," Eliwood said. "We should not be arguing with each other. After all, as Legault said, there may come a time when this secret may divide us from our companions. Legault has promised us his trust; we should do the same and quit our arguing."

"How wise," Legault commented with a lazy smirk.

"This is the path we have chosen; would a rider not want to travel down a path unmarred instead of one littered with crevasses?" Eliwood said.

"Parables?" Lucius questioned softly.

"The best of lessons are the ones self-learned," Legault replied.

"Yes," Eliwood agreed. "Our path for the moment is set. The moment you agreed to take care of Lloyd, Legault, the moment you were summoned, Lucius, the moment I decided to spare someone I could save, our fates were bound to Lloyd's. We chose to aid this man, and it is only right that we see this path to its conclusion."

"Did we chose this path as you said, or were we chosen?" Mark mused.

"Regardless," Eliwood said. "My statement remains unchanged."

"Nor does your will," Legault smirked, hugging his legs to his chest and resting his chin on his knees. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you," Eliwood murmured calmly, watching the thief. The lavender-haired man was acting differently than usual; calmer? No, more serene almost, more relaxed, than how he acted in public. A small smile crossed the lord's lips; even the most cautious of men let down their masks in welcome company.

"Did you have a question for Eliwood, Lucius?" Mark asked after a moment of silence.

"Oh!" Lucius exclaimed, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as he clasped his hands in his lap. "L-, Eliwood, when we were with Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis earlier, I could not help but think that, and I am sorry if I am mistaken, but..." The bishop trailed off, biting his lip in embarrassment.

Eliwood sent a quick mental prayer to the heavens that Lucius did not bring up Hector's odd behavior earlier, because he was already confused enough on how to deal with these new revelations and Legault was looking far too interested to be healthy. Even Mark had trained him with a steady stare, though every time Eliwood glanced over to him he was still reading his book.

"Are you, and Lord Hector," Lucius stuttered, and Eliwood refrained from screaming. Where was a convenient distraction when you needed one!? "Toge-"

"Eliwood!" Lyn exclaimed, barging into the red-haired lord's tent with all her usual brashness and incredible sense of timing. "I know I said I'd be by later, but I really need to talk...with...you?" Lyn trailed off, glancing from the grateful Eliwood to the mortified Lucius, both thankful that the bishop need not continue his question, to Legault who was surprised that she had snuck up on him unaware, to Mark who was resolutely not looking at her and swearing softly under his breath about lost opportunities for embarrassment, to the unconscious man laying in the background that looked too close to the one that had ambushed them earlier to be comfortable.

"Is there something you wish to tell me Eliwood?" Lyn inquired gently, her hand straying to the sword sheathed at her hip.

"Oh no, nothing Lyndis," Eliwood chuckled nervously, smiling unconvincingly. "We were just..."

"Discussing politics?" Lucius offered.

"Betraying the army," Mark said, as tactful as ever.

"Having an orgy," Legault chirped, a bright smile lighting up his face.

"With an unconscious man?" Lyn asked doubtfully, drawing her sword slowly.

"He's not unconscious," Eliwood assured, trying to control the situation. "He's...dead?"

The occupants of the tent fell silent, staring at the frozen lord in a mixture of shock and horror. It took a moment for Eliwood to comprehend what he had just said, but his face paled rapidly once his mind caught up with his mouth. "I so did not-"

"Ew," Legault spat out, summing up the thoughts of the entire tent succinctly.

"I'm not one to comment on questionable practices, Eliwood," Lyn said, her faced scrunched up in disgust. "But perhaps you should consider...more healthy pursuits."

"While certain deviancies are becoming more accepted daily, I do not believe that this tendency of yours should be allowed to continue, my lord," Lucius said, smiling reassuredly to the horror-stricken lord. "Do not fear, Eliwood; with faith, we shall help you return to the path of sexual purity."

Mark wordlessly handed Eliwood a self-help book he had kept hidden in the folds of his robe in case a situation such as being employed by a necrophiliac nobleman ever arose. Never let it be said that Mark wasn't prepared for everything.

Eliwood sat down, glaring at the rest of his companions. "I hate you all."

"We love you too," Mark said monotonously, returning to whatever was so interesting in that novel of his.

"Eliwood's preferences aside," Lyn said, chuckling as said redhead gave her a glare which would have reduced her to a pile of ash if looks could kill. "Any reason why you are all here together? And don't think I haven't forgotten about Mr. Corpse over there."

"He is alive you know," Eliwood muttered, flipping through his new self-help book avidly. Maybe he could find something about fathers who abandon their sons for odd be known reasons only to die in dramatic fashions.

"Does that make you a rapist instead?" Legault mused.

"We all would be, considering we were having an orgy as you said!" Eliwood exclaimed, throwing his book at the thief, who dodged it barely. So much for his parental issues being solved today.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Lyn asked with a quirked brow.

"Eliwood decided to try his hand at being a Messiah and spare Lloyd over there," Legault began, before Eliwood interrupted him.

"I did it because I would rather spare someone than have them killed needlessly!" Eliwood said.

"Which was pretty foolish considering that he had tried to kill you earlier," Lyn commented.

"Very much so," Legault agreed. "Then he called over Lucius-darling to try and heal him-"

"Hello Lady Lyndis," Lucius whispered, bowing his head.

"Hi Lucius," Lyn smiled.

"Done with pleasantries?" Legault asked, his eye twitching with annoyance at being interrupted once again. Lyn and Lucius smiled sheepishly and nodded at the thief. "Good. As I was saying, Lucius rambled over, but was too much of a chicken to try and heal Lloyd-"

"I could have seriously hurt him!" Lucius exclaimed before cowering in fear as Legault suddenly drew a dagger and held in front of his face.

"Next person to interrupt me gets this up their ass," Legault snarled, his good mood worn to the breaking point. Lloyd popping up once more, Eliwood playing Savior, Heath denying him once again; the lavender-haired thief was not up for anymore shit today.

Eliwood, Lyn, and Lucius meeped and nodded furiously, while Mark just sighed and turned to the next page of his novel. Ooh, apparently things were about to get a bit interesting between Lawrence and Esmeralda...

"Mark?" Eliwood asked hesitantly, a little creeped out by the tactician's low laughter. Even Legault looked like he was getting a few shivers down his spine.

"Back to my story," Legault said, drawing the spotlight back to him. "Anyway, Lucius over there could do nothing, so the magnificent **_I_** was required to save the day, which I obviously did. The end."

Mark clapped sarcastically, wondering when the idiots surrounding him would shut up so he could focus on his novella once more.

"Did Legault just...?" Lyn whispered to Eliwood, who nodded shortly. It would be wise to watch the thief from now on; anyone who could speak with such emphasis should be treated with caution.

"Smite, smite, smite," Lucius chanted, thrusting his hands out at Legault with each curse.

"Lyndis, come with me," Eliwood whispered, grabbing the other's arm. "Legault is currently amused with Lucius's breakdown, so if we're lucky, we can make a break for it."

"Eliwood, would this help?" Lyn asked, showing Eliwood the metal circle she had been carrying for some time.

"Where did you...? Never mind," Eliwood sighed shaking his head. "I don't care how you got such an item, it is so convenient."

"Thanks," Lyn said. "On three?"

"Sure," Eliwood agreed.

"One, go!" Lyn shouted, sprinting from the tent, dodging the self-help book that Legault tossed at her head.

"What an ineffective weapon," Legault muttered, leaping to his feet.

"Where did you learn to count!?" Eliwood shouted, causing Lyn to smile sheepishly at him.

"Sorry!" Lyn replied, tossing the light rune she had shown Eliwood at the entrance of the tent. "That should keep him."

"Curses," Legault cursed, tapping his dagger on the invisible barrier separating him from the two that had dared to not praise his wonderful story telling. "I'll get to you yet, my pretties." He yelled at the rapidly retreating duo. "At least I still have you, Luc-"

Legault paused, staring at the area of the tent where Lucius had thrown himself through to create an opening, watching as the blonde bishop ran into what looked distinctly like Raven's tent.

"Damn it," Legault turned to Mark.

"I clapped," Mark said drolly.

Legault sighed, dropping to the floor. "I shouldn't have promised Eliwood that I would protect Lloyd; I could be hunting down those three who did not give the magnificent **_I _**the proper respect that is due if not for this unconscious lug of a man."

A sharp snap caused Legault to turn to Mark who had shut his book abruptly, their eyes locking. Legault almost shivered at the sight of the tactician's knowing eyes. All his skill at lying, diplomacy, and the crafting of clever tales abandoned him, and Legault felt his breath catch at the thin smirk on Mark's pale face. He hadn't been fooled for a second.

"Do not leave this tent, Legault, Lloyd," Mark said, rising silently and leaving by way of Lucius' impromptu exit hole. "I am not as easily fooled as Eliwood."

Legault exhaled the breath he did not know he had been keeping at Mark's exit, catching Lloyd's honey-brown gaze with his own. Shit, they were in trouble; the tactician now held all the cards and Legault was not sure what Mark was going to do with the knowledge that the entire time they had been in Eliwood's tent, Lloyd had been fully conscious, and Legault had lied to them about that fact.

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Hmm, a bit of intrigue, no?

Remember I love reviews; if you have any questions you want to ask, any comments about the humor (were some parts forced or stilted? Or did it flow relatively smoothly?) or the characterizations in this story (is Legault laying it on too thick? Is Lucius too shy? How about Mark - the last thing I want him to be is a Gary Stu after all.), or if you spotted any errors or things that need to be corrected, then please, send me a review! Also, don't forget that there is still **seven** request unaccounted for, so send in your requests and I will do it, no matter what the pairing (I'm going to do Hector/Marcus/Karel eventually for God's sake!).

Thank you to everyone who has given this story a chance though, and I hope that everyone who has already begun to enjoy this story will continue to do so.

Until the next chapter,

Ariaeris~


	3. Chapter the Third

Surprise! This story is not dead yet! No, I have plans for this little plunny, great plans, and I will not allow this idea to whither away until it reached its full fruition.

So stick around; we still have quite the ride left. After all, this chapter chronologically is right after chapter 24 and before 25, so if this story ends a little after the game's epilogue...my, this story should rack up about 25-30 chapters possibly.

One thing to mention though; one of my "betas" (who really don't beta anything but just reads over each chapter before I post them) warned me that the discussion between Lyn and Eliwood seemed a bit awkward. Lyn seemed out of character (though perhaps this can be excused; she is going through a very painful process, as some of us might know, this chapter), and so did Eliwood, &c. So, some feedback would be truly appreciated and, if people don't like it the way it is now, I'll rewrite it, okay?

Oh, and the ever lovely Sol Hiryu pointed out that Eliwood's stated idea about the way Lycia works seems a bit far-fetched; that is because it is. Take Eliwood's words with a grain of salt. Though he is not necessarily _wrong_, he has also lived a far more sheltered life than the ordinary person; he knows how the world works, but his comfortable lifestyle still affects the way he sees the world. So just keep that idea in mind, and read between the lines a bit when it comes to characters; some of the more important things are going to be the ones left unsaid.

Until then, enjoy the (longer than usual) chapter!

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Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe, Swearing, Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Others to be determined.

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_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 3: Revelations are Sweetest when given Freely._

_"Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing is more frightening than to be divested of a crutch."_

_-James Baldwin_

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"Well, shit," Legault moaned, flopping down on the ground beside the silent Lloyd. "Should I still continue with your plan?"

"Yes," Lloyd replied shortly, closing his eyes in frustration.

"Confused about little Eliwood?" Legault teased, ignoring the other's icy glare. "The targets of the Black Fang have always been corrupt nobles, people whose actions sign their own death warrants. Eliwood isn't like that though, is he?"

Lloyd was silent, and Legault continued. "He wasn't what I expected either; he's a lot more fiery. Then again, that will make him more interesting in the long run; given that you do not use that dagger you are hiding strapped to your left thigh to complete your assignment."

Lloyd stiffened, his hand that had been straying to the addressed weapon halting. "I may be a thief, but I am also a proficient assassin, remember?" Legault chuckled. "I see these kinds of things you know."

"Are you going to stop me?" Lloyd challenged.

"I won't need to," Legault replied, smirking widely. Lloyd paused, shooting him a confused look, and Legault managed to swallow his snickers. "Don't start doubting yourself, Lloyd," Legault sing-songed, skipping to Lucius' hole of convenient exiting. "Don't worry though; I'll be sure to retrieve Nino for you, safe and sound."

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Eliwood and Lyn ran through the center of the army's campground, laughing without a care in the world, reveling in the feeling of a freedom they had not indulged in for a long time. Their laughter drew odd looks from their compatriots and a few fond smiles as they darted and dodged between their friends, but the two merely shut their eyes as they ran, not acknowledging anything apart from themselves.

Eventually the two tired, far away from the camp and closer to the cliffs and forests that just a few hours ago had been a battlefield. Lyn sat down in the shade of one of the many trees, the setting sun lighting the land in a variety of soft, warm colors. She smiled; it almost reminded her of the plains, but the lingering fog dispelled such a fanciful notion. Lyn drew her knees close, wrapping her arms around them; her desire to return to her home was almost overbearing, and yet…

Eliwood flopped down besides her, breathing heavily as he glared at her still form. "Exercise freak," he cursed, gasping as the stitch in his side pulsed painfully.

"Jealousy does not become you, Eliwood," Lyn grinned, not bothering to hide her laughter from the redhead. Even if she did want to go home with all her heart, there were still things that tied her to the army; good things that, like the plains she longed for, she knew she would miss if forced from their side. She would remain on this path as long as she was able to and, when the time came for her to return to her home, she would do so to the farewells of her friends, and promises to return to their side.

Lyn frowned, her hands clenching into fists. At least, she hoped she would be able to do so. She would find out how long her tenure was to last in just a few short moments if all went according to plan, after all.

"I will remember this moment, Lyndis; I will remember and laugh at you twofold when you receive your comeuppance."

Lyn just laughed, Eliwood's fierce glare melting into a pleased look as the plainswoman's furrowed brow smoothed. The lord sighed, relaxing to lean his back against the tree beside Lyn, running a hand through his hair. He would have to cut it soon; if it grew any longer, it would start falling in front of his eyes even with his circlet holding his hair back somewhat, and he could not afford any handicaps when it came to fighting. Lowen might be able to fight proficiently enough with his hair as long as it was, but Eliwood could not deal with such a distraction when he was concentrating so solely on his opponents.

"Come now, Eliwood; any more sighing and you will run out of air," Lyn chided teasingly.

"That doesn't make sense," Eliwood muttered, annoyed slightly over his interrupted musings.

"Perhaps not," Lyn agreed. "It caught your attention though."

Eliwood sighed, smiling sheepishly as Lyn glared at him. "Sorry. Never mind that though; you wished to speak with me?"

Eliwood watched as Lyn seemed to shrink into herself, looking uncertain and nervous for a moment, before seemingly finding a well of inner strength. Lyn turned to stare directly into Eliwood's eyes, and the redhead discreetly calmed himself. From the look of things, Lyn had been keeping a secret for a long time that had eaten away at her, and while he felt grateful that she had trusted him enough to reveal such a secret, he knew that whatever she would say might startle him. That would be unacceptable; he would not cause her anymore distress.

"I was nervous, for a moment," Lyn said, her back ramrod straight as she tried to speak casually. Eliwood smiled warmly, trying to encourage her. Lyn smiled weakly in return. "Just a moment, but I think that if anyone would listen to me impartially and without critique, it would be you."

"I swear to listen without judgment or prejudice," Eliwood promised. "I swear that nothing you tell me here today will be repeated without your permission as well."

"Thank you," Lyn breathed, her stern eyes loosing some of their harshness.

"Think nothing of it," Eliwoodassured, concerned for his friend. Though they were not the closest of friends and they had not known each other long, he still cared for her and was disturbed by the wary look that had taken over her usually open face. Even when she had been arguing with Hector or training with him, Lyn had always worn her heart on her sleeve, and Eliwood had always taken a certain amount of pleasure in knowing that he had been close enough to her to be able to read her emotions. Now, this new closed-off Lyn disturbed him, and if she was reaching out to him for help, he would be more than glad to accept her request and pay it in folds.

"I've…I've kept this a secret for a long time now, but I wanted someone, anyone to know. I mean, she knows but I need someone else, someone to confide in what I can not tell her. I could tell her anything, she's said that, and yet…it's like, I…" Lyn trailed off, gritting her teeth in frustration. She started though as Eliwood shifted, taking her hand in one of his and lightly rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Such a gesture could be considered romantic, but Eliwood's eyes reflected nothing but genuine friendship and caring, and Lyn relaxed at the sight.

"You owe me no explanation, Lyn," Eliwood said, carefully measuring the intonation of each syllable, calming her as he had manipulated many others with his words. Gentle words, a soft voice, and enough skill, and many were putty in his hands, an extremely useful talent in the years when he was not strong enough to wield a sword. "If you do not wish to tell me whatever is gnawing at your heart, then let me merely comfort you for the sake of comforting, because seeing you in such anguish is painful for me."

"I am fine, Eliwood," Lyn smiled, letting Eliwood's words wash over her and sweep away her worries. Something about the way he was speaking, the sound of his voice perhaps, reminded her of a mother soothing a child, calm and yet strong at the same time. It was reassuring, and her will was strengthened thanks to the other's unspoken promise of faithfulness and unwavering friendship.

"I am in love," Lyn announced, surprised as Eliwood suddenly smiled brightly, hugging her. "Um, Eliwood?"

"Congratulations!" He cheered, truly happy for his friend. More than anything else, he had been fascinated by the relationship between his mother and father, and if Lyn had found the same happiness that they had, then he could be no less than ecstatic for her. "Who is the lucky one who stole your heart?"

"…" Lyn mumbled, eyes focused on the area beside Eliwood's head.

"I couldn't hear you," Eliwood said, grasping her hand tightly. He had an inkling of what her problem was; he himself had faced it only a few years ago, and though he was in no way the greatest of counselors, he might now be able to help her to a greater extent than he originally thought.

"Florina," Lyn whispered, as if revealing a great secret. Eliwood almost laughed in relief, thankful that of all the problems she could have been faced with it was merely this one, but he contained himself. Instead, he released her hand, not missing Lyn's frantic look at the motion, and shut his eyes, planning his next sentence carefully.

"Are you going to stay in Caelin with her, or are you two moving back to the plains?" Eliwood asked, smiling warmly as Lyn's hyperventilation abruptly ceased as she jerked her head up fast enough to get whiplash, staring at Eliwood incredulously.

"What? Eliwood, did you not hear me? Florina – Florina. Did I stutter?" Lyn looked frazzled, limbs shaking, and Eliwood almost pitied her. He knew firsthand how hard this step was in the process of coming out.

"No, you spoke quite clearly, Lyn," Eliwood said, switching from her name which he normally used to her preferred nickname. "I know that, perhaps this isn't the reaction you were expecting, but -"

Eliwood was cut off as Lyn threw herself at him, hugging his with a soft sob. Eliwood merely wrapped an arm around her, lying silently as she sobbed quietly. It was a bit out of character for Lyn to be so emotional, but Eliwood excused it, knowing she had just been through an emotional upheaval, and who knows how long she and Florina had been keeping this secret? He had spotted their close relationship when he had retrieved Ninian, and from what he had learned, they had been friends for years.

Had they been involved that long, and if not, how many years had they been living in secrecy, always hiding something from their friends and families? Eliwood clutched her closer; he had been lucky – he had had Mother, and Father, and Marcus and many others who had not only accepted him, but encouraged him. Pherae, long known for its natural beauty, was seen as gorgeous by many not only because of its land but because of its natural tendency towards acceptance as well. Open-mindedness was the norm, and open homosexuality was not an uncommon phenomenon in his homeland. Still, Eliwoodknew the instinctive fear that maybe, just maybe, that acceptance might not be extended to him, no matter how irrational that though was as he saw daily couples of every gender walking through the halls of his home.

For Lyn though, who knows what kind of culture she grew up in? Eliwood was a little ashamed to admit it, but he was a bit sheltered when it came to other cultures. He knew that not everyone was as accepting as Pherae; in fact, his first encounter with bigotry had startled him, and opened his eyes for the first time to the outside world. It was apparent from Lyn's reaction that she had not known the support that he had, and Eliwood's eyes flashed with determination as he promised himself that, as his brush with bigotry had opened his eyes to rejection, he would show her acceptance through his friendship.

"I'm sorry, Eliwood," Lyn said, drawing back with an embarrassed flush. "I'm acting so oddly; I told myself that no matter how you reacted I wouldn't break down, and here I am, crying on you. And for what; you being happy for me?" Lyn laughed brokenly, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands fiercely. "I'm acting so…"

"Relieved?" Eliwood offered, smiling as Lyn chuckled a bit more happily as she nodded.

"How are you so accepting of this?" Lyn questioned, threading her fingers through Eliwood's. Any of her nervousness that may have manifested when Eliwood had grabbed her hand was gone, and she sighed happily. Her chest felt lighter than it had in many a year, and her shoulders slumped as she let down her guard in the presence of her friend.

"I am not sure how different people's views on the subject are," Eliwood said, neatly avoiding the word he knew might cause her to tense up. In the weeks before he confessed to his parents he had been unable to stand the presence of the word 'homosexuality,' and even afterwards it had caused him to tense in a shadow of the fear of rejection he had carried. Lyn might be the same, especially considering she had kept her preference and relationship a secret for much longer than Eliwood had. "But you do not have to worry about me rejecting you. Pherae has made a name for itself concerning its open-mindedness."

"Pherae," Lyn murmured. "Your homeland… Is Caelin the same?" She asked with barely disguised hope.

"I do believe so, but that is a subject you should take up with your grandfather; I know Lord Hausen to be a quite loving man. He would not reject you," Eliwood reassured.

"Sacae was not a bad place," Lyn said suddenly, and Eliwood was silent as he watched her. "I truly love the plains; they are my home, and nothing will ever change that. But it has never been known for its tolerance. Morals and rules were set by each individual chieftain, and as such, some tribes had friction between them because of their opposing beliefs. My tribe, the Lorca, was one of the more insular tribes in Sacae, but we also had many enemies; much like Pherae, we were open-minded about many things."

Lyn drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Father was a good man, and I believe that Mother must have influenced a few of his thoughts and actions as well. We were tolerant of many things, including relationships; Mother said that love was love, and nothing should interfere with that."

"A common motto when it comes to many parts of Lycia," Eliwood mused.

"I am happy to hear that," Lyn said, her body beginning to relax with a newfound sense of inner-peace. "Our ideals brought us in conflict with other less accepting tribes. That is why, when we were attacked by the Taliver bandits, no one came to our aid. Father had sent out messengers the day he realized that our drinking water had been poisoned to ask for assistance. Not a single messenger came back."

"Lyn," Eliwood whispered, trying to think of what he could do for this woman who had experienced more pain that he ever had. Even considering _that_incident, Eliwood had never known the sheer anguish he could hear in Lyn's voice. What could he, a sheltered lord who had experienced no difficulty in his life whatsoever, ever offer to her to ease her pain?

"Eliwood, I think I am going to take you up on that offer you made earlier," Lyn said, smiling tiredly. "Can we continue this discussion later? I have much to tell you, and you still have to explain to me why exactly you are housing a member of the Black Fang in your tent." Lyn laughed at Eliwood's suddenly panicked look. "But that is a story for later."

Lyn leapt to her feet, offering Eliwood her hand. "Let's go. We need to return to camp; it won't be safe to linger here much longer," She said, glancing at the rapidly setting sun.

"Okay," Eliwood said, grabbing the other's hand, and she pulled him to his feet. "I need to check up on Legault and Lloyd as well. Hopefully Lloyd has remained unconscious as well; I don't think Legault could stop him if he truly wanted to leave."

"And you want him to stay?" Lyn asked, glancing at Eliwood from the corner of her eye as they started walking back to camp.

"Of course; if he leaves, he might injure himself, or reopen his wounds. Legault had to use an elixir on him his wounds were so bad, and we don't have the resources to keep healing him if he decides to go off and foolishly injure himself," Eliwood said matter-of-factly, apparently seeing nothing wrong with his logic.

Lyn paused, wondering if she should question Eliwood over his seeming lack of sanity when it came to all things Lloyd-shaped, before deciding that it would be best not to alienate her friend by questioning his mental state. Instead, she shifted closer until their arms were brushing, promising to herself that she would stay by his side to make sure that he did not get hurt because of his fascination with Lloyd of the Black Fang.

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While Lyn and Eliwood were having their much-needed heart-to-heart, Legault was wandering from tent to tent, perusing his companions with a careful eye. Lloyd had asked him in his usual blunt manner to find and recover Nino; the little girl had been with Lloyd and Linus shortly before the beginning of the former's ill fated encounter with Eliwood's army, and had not been seen since.

Although he would never admit it, Legault was a little worried for his 'niece.' He knew that she could handle herself; everyone but that bitch Sonia could tell that she was a genius with magic. Still, Legault knew he was a bit irrational when it came to Nino's safety, and he wanted to make sure that she was safe just as much as Lloyd did.

Besides, he also needed to send out a few messages as well, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Who to take with him though? Legault knew better than to undergo a potentially dangerous mission without backup. Much like how a person should never exercise alone, missions should never be undertaken solo unless necessary in case some unexpected difficulties should arise.

The only one present that he trusted implicitly though was Lloyd, and he had been assigned this task because Lloyd could not complete it himself. Eliwood was out of the question as well; it would not do well to push the lord's trust in him too far. And Lucius could not be trusted as well because, though he was surprisingly strong-willed, he was not one for keeping secrets; it was against his nature and another secret might be too much of a toll on the kind bishop.

Then again, Lucius hadn't seemed so kind when he had threatened him with his divine rage.

What he needed was someone silent, trustworthy; someone who knew when to keep their mouths shut and how to keep a secret. Who was like that though in the army?

As if it was an answer to the thief's unasked question, an arrow whizzed by Legault's head, ruffling his long lavender hair. The thief froze, his life flashing before his eyes. Had the Black Fang somehow infiltrated the camp? Was there a traitor in their midst? Had Linus ever paid him back that two hundred gold he owed him?

All the answers to his questions save the last were provided in the form of a frantic and flushed Wil.

"Jeez, are you okay?" The archer asked, wringing his hands. "I'm sorry, so sorry! Rath was letting me practice riding his horse and I thought, 'well, Rath is such a great archer when he is on horseback, so maybe I should try,' but it was harder than it looked, and I'm so sorry, and are you hurt? Do you need a cleric?"

Legault, having long since tuned out the other's ramblings, was struck with a sudden burst of inspiration. Rath! Perfect! The quiet Sacaenwould never blab on him and he could be trusted with the mission's true objective.

Maybe. He did not know that much about Rath, no one did really, though Wil was probably the closest one to him. He did know that Rath was proud and not afraid to follow his own will at least. That might not be enough information to manipulate him with, and he was loath to just place his trust in a practical stranger, but no one would be more suited than him for this mission…

"Hey, Wil, right?" Legault asked, smiling in a genial way that he knew set people at ease and caused them to divulge to him secrets that would usually be kept under tight lock and key. Then again, he wasn't a thief for nothing.

"Yep, that's me!" Wil laughed, resting the end of his bow on the ground and leaning against it. "And you're…Legault, right?"

"Yes," Legaultreplied bluntly, in an effort to stave off any more unnecessary small talk. "Do you know where Rath is? Lord Eliwood requested his presence posthaste."

"Rath? Um, he's…hey! Rath! Come over here!" The energetic archer shouted, summoning his more silent companion to his side.

The Sacaen raised a questioning eyebrow at Legault's presence, and the lavender-haired thief tried to look as personable as possible.

"Hello, Rath. Lord Eliwood has called for our presence," Legault said, waving his hand in the general area of the lord's tent. "He needs us most urgently, so please, follow me."

Rath shot him an imperious look before nodding once. Score! Mental Legault did a little jig while the two traveled back towards Eliwood's tent. Suddenly, Legault was overcome with the sudden urge to hit himself in the face – Eliwood was with Lyn at the moment, so the only one in his tent would be Lloyd, who Rath most certainly could not see. The Sacaen would probably stab first, ask questions later, if at all.

Legault began panicking slightly, though on the outside he appeared as composed as ever. When had he gotten so rusty that he would not notice such monstrous oversights as the one before him?

Thankfully, it seemed like the god that Lucius had been trying to call earlier decided to finally show up, as the silent pair miraculously crossed paths with a merrily joking Lyn and Eliwood. Legault raised a slender brow at Lyn's red eyes - had she been crying recently? - before hailing the two.

"Lord Eliwood! Lady Lyndis!"

The two turned to face him, both glancing curiously at his companion, who nodded to them respectfully.

"Given up on Heath?" Eliwood asked sarcastically.

"Of course not milord," Legault replied with a chuckle. "We're here for the mission you wanted to assign us."

Lyn turned her curious eyes towards Eliwood, but the redhead remained impassive. "Oh? Which one: the dangerous one or the not-so-dangerous one?"

Legault smirked; Eliwood was a quick learner, already taking advantage of his promise of utter truthfulness. "The one that is not dangerous as all, milord. The recovery one."

All the concealed tension left the lord's body at the thief's answer, and he smiled benignly at the two. "Ah, I remember now. Good luck, and do remember to bring Isadora with you; I know that you specifically requested her presence for this assignment, Legault."

"Yes, Lord Eliwood," Although he was being manipulated and put under surveillance, Legault could barely contain the grin that ached to spread across his face. He had figured that, like the many other nobles he had been forced to work with over the years, Eliwood would be an uninteresting, stuck-up bore, but no; Eliwood was much more than that. He was a crafter of words and a spinner of tales, and Legault could not help but be thrilled at the prospect of facing another who might rival his skill at manipulation.

"Be safe and be swift," Eliwood instructed, dismissing them with a sharp nod.

"Yes, my lord," Legault and Rath replied, leaving the two nobles in front of Eliwood's tent.

"I will not ask what deeper meaning that meeting held, Eliwood," Lyn said after a moment, looking a bit confused. "I do hope you will explain it to me one day though."

"As soon as I figure it out myself, I will tell you," Eliwood chuckled.

"If you do not know where they are going or what they are planning, then why did you let them go?" Lyn asked.

"I trust Legault," Eliwoodsaid simply. "And Isadora will serve as my proxy, keeping him in line if need be. Everything will be fine."

"If you believe that, than so shall I. You have always had sound judgment Eliwood, and I hope for your sake that that does not change any time soon."

"Thank you," Eliwood said, bowing his head to Lyn. She smiled and, with a parting farewell, left, leaving the Pheraen lord alone.

Eliwood sighed, running a hand through his hair. Things were rapidly becoming complicated, and if he didn't meditate on recent events soon, he would risk losing control of the situation he had become entrapped in.

Lyn and Lucius could be trusted and, for the moment, he would place his trust in Legault as well. The thief had sworn that he would never lie to Eliwood, but he was not a fool; just because Legault would never lie to him did not mean that the thief could not lie to others, and he would not allow himself to trust the lavender-haired man implicitly with such a loophole hanging over his head.

And more than anything else, there was Lloyd. What had he been thinking when he had decided to spare the swordmaster? Had he even been thinking at all?

"Lloyd, what am I to do with you?" Eliwood muttered despondently, drifting into the tent. The next moment he was on the ground, a sharp blade held to his throat. Cold gold eyes met his own, and Eliwood's breath caught, stunned by the sudden attack.

"You should be more concerned with what I will do with you," Lloyd whispered, his words as sharp as the steel dagger that he slowly dragged across Eliwood's throat.

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...So this is why people write cliffhangers so much; it's so exciting to leave people on the edge of their seats! 'What will happen next? What will the author do now? I can't wait for the next chapter!'

It's all so much fun!

Please remember before you go that the review button is an endangered species, and only you can save it from extinction by pressing on it.

Until next chapter,

Ariaeris~

Ps: Oh, I went back and changed the previous two chapters; Legault officially has lavender hair, because people have already been griping about me calling it silver. It doesn't sound as cool to me, but whatever. The things I do for you people.

Pps: There are still **four **open spots left for requested pairings! Send in those requests people; I've already begun posting the first request, a Hector/Ninian short fic. If you don't send in your requests, you might never get to see your wonderfully cracky favorite pairing written out!


	4. Chapter the Fourth

_It's back~_

No, seriously, welcome to the fourth chapter of "A Moment of Mercy!" We at Ariaeris & Co. would like to extend our greeting to you, dear reader, as well as a few precautionary notes.

First: Do I have to explain the concept of a Life Debt to anyone? If so, then just read this chapter with an open mind; maybe you'll be able to learn something today. If not, then yay, hopefully I won't have that many confused readers on my hands. If there are some though, I'll explain it to anyone who needs a definition.

Second: Because I know I am going to have complaints from someone if I don't clarify this, Eliwood's logic is _supposed_ to be absolutely faulty in the first section. He's panicking, okay? Not many people would have a level head with someone who just tried to kill you. This is just an example of the whole reading between the lines thing, though really, I basically spell it out in one paragraph.

Third: About halfway down the fic, Lloyd demands that Eliwood speak 'in Modern.' This came from the revelation that since everyone is in Elibe, they can't be speaking _English_. So, Elibe's version of English is Modern. Although this raises so many linguistical problems (Eliwood references _carte blanche, _a French term that, technically, shouldn't exist since there is no France and therefore no French language in Elibe), this will be the only mention of it for the rest of the fic.

Other than that, I think this will be a fairly good chapter. After all, we have Lloyd finally! Oh, and a moderately badass Eliwood, which is a cause for celebration as well!

Enjoy~

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Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe (not really though - there are still hints of its continued existence. Example: Hector's God-awful beard), Swearing, Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Others to be determined.

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_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 4: Speaking to You through a Cracked Wall._

_The distance doesn't matter; it is only the first step that is the most difficult._

_-Marie du Deffand_

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Eliwood shivered as the flat of Lloyd's dagger was drawn across his neck before Lloyd released him. Scrambling to his feet, Eliwood stared cautiously at the casual-looking swordmaster.

"You spared my life," Lloyd said, breaking the wary silence that hung between the two. "And now I have spared yours from death at my hand. We are even."

Eliwood blinked, tensing as Lloyd held his dagger in a more ready position, staring at him.

"We are not," Eliwood asserted. "Yes, I spared your life, a debt which you just so unorthodoxly repaid. But I have also given you asylum, and because of that, your debt to me remains."

Lloyd looked mildly annoyed for a moment before smirking faintly. "Fine, I acknowledge that such a debt remains; but what is stopping me from simply…saving you again?" Lloyd played with his dagger, twirling it between his fingers. "Two debts, two repayments…" The older man trailed off, stilling his weapon. "Then what will you do?"

"Your second repayment would not be sufficient," Eliwood replied with a steadiness that he did not truly feel. His mind was abuzz with plans and strategies, and yet everything he thought of was flimsy and easily shot down. Could he bank on Lloyd's honor? He would never have mentioned his debt to him if he did not have some sort of sense of honor - he would have just killed him, or taken him hostage in order to assure his safe escape - and yet…

"Oh?" Lloyd asked, walking casually closer. Eliwood tensed but stayed his ground, and Lloyd almost chuckled amusedly. "And why is that?"

"I have given you sanctuary, and for that you owe me," Eliwood repeated, meeting Lloyd's impassive gaze. "As long as you remain in my care, you remain in debt to me; as long as I provide shelter for you, you owe me the life that I spared."

"Logical and concise," Lloyd murmured with the faintest hint of sarcasm, ghosting his knife's tip over the redhead's cheek. "But flawed. What is stopping me from leaving you care as you put it, and then coming back for you? It would take, what, ten minutes to leave your campground and then return? Ten minutes, and you won't have such weak excuses to hide behind any longer."

"Be my guest," Eliwood mocked with a faux-polite smile. "It would take, what, two minutes for someone to notice the injured commander of today's battle and take you down? If you want, I can count the seconds for you."

"Injured? Legault's elixir healed me completely," Lloyd laughed and Eliwood felt something in his chest freeze suddenly. The only way that Lloyd could have known that it was Legault's elixir that healed him…was if Legault told him himself. A slightly bitter smile crept across Eliwood's face; he would have to finish up here soon in order to intercept the thief before he left. "I'm not injured at -"

Lloyd paused, shocked at the feel of cold steel suddenly pressed against him. A quick glance down confirmed his suspicions; the tip of a sharp looking dagger was pressed against his abdomen, his blood dripping down from the small puncture wound it caused. Lloyd stared at the cut for a long moment before meeting Eliwood's gaze once more.

"You will be," Eliwood promised, his sapphire eyes frosted over. "Listen to me and listen to me well; I will say this only once. I saved your life; you owe me said life. Your life, which I saved from death, is mine to do with as I wish. You gave up the right to control your life when you lost to me in battle."

Eliwood's smile was frigid, but Lloyd managed to keep an impassive façade in place. "Tell me where Legault is going."

"Go to hell," Lloyd snarled, and Eliwood pressed the tip of his dagger into Lloyd a bit farther.

"I loath violence," Eliwood mentioned flippantly. "And I would rather not resort to such barbaric means as this to get you to talk, but I will if necessary."

"So, this is the true face of Eliwood of Pherae?" Lloyd mocked. "Someone spurns you and you lose that gentle veneer, revealing your true nature. You're the worst kind of person, _Lord_ Eliwood; worse then the trash on the streets. They know what they are, but you, you try to fool yourself and others into thinking you're better than everyone else. You try to fool yourself, but on the inside, you're as filthy as every other corrupt noble in the world."

At the end of Lloyd's tirade Eliwood was deathly still, his eyes closed. The blond allowed himself a moment of triumph - he had been right, the crimson-haired lord truly was nothing but a farce, just like his father had said - before blazing blue eyes shot open, pinning him with their inner fire.

"Fool," Eliwood whispered his voice sharp and biting. "Fool amongst fools. You do not even realize how very wrong you truly are." The lord shook his head, looking more than a little disappointed with the swordmaster.

"You will remain here," Eliwood ordered, turning his eyes from the now silent Lloyd. "You will not leave; if you do, someone will find you and they will kill you without a second's hesitation. After all, you would do the same in our position, wouldn't you?"

The lord left without an answer, leaving the swordmaster to contemplate the confrontation that had just occurred.

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Eliwood walked quickly towards the stables, stifling his disappointment. Despite his repeated acknowledgements of the stupidity of saving Lloyd, he had still held on to the childish notion that he might be able to help the swordmaster, and get to know him. Or at least talk to him, and try to understand his motives.

Eliwood snorted, breaking into a brisk jog. Lloyd lived up to his title: the White Wolf. A beast. How dare Lloyd accuse him of being so base, so reprehensible! What had he done to deserve the blonde's ire, besides being born with royal blood flowing through his veins? From the other's response, apparently that was enough evidence needed for Lloyd to pass judgment on his character.

That man was not worth his thoughts; Eliwood shook his head, and put the blond out of his mind for the first time that day.

A relieved smile broke through the lord's bad mood as he spotted Kent tending to his horse beside the stable.

"Kent!" Eliwood called, jogging to the other redhead's side.

"Lord Eliwood," the cavalier greeted, running a cloth over his sweaty forehead as he stood up. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Have you seen Rath or Legault lately? Or perhaps, Isadora?" The young lord asked, glancing around as if to catch sight of them.

"Yes, I have, Lord Eliwood," Kent said, closing his eyes in recollection. "The three left shortly after I arrived, all on horseback."

"Do you know how long ago that was?" Eliwood questioned, biting his lip in frustration.

"Hm," Kent glanced up, measuring how far the sun had traveled since he last checked. "Maybe twenty minutes, my lord. I am not certain."

Eliwood swore, and Kent sent him a surprised and scandalized look. "Do you know how many mounted units are currently equipped for travel, Kent?"

"I can saddle up quickly if need be, Sain as well. Florina and Fiora are with their Pegasi over there," Kent waved his hand in the duo's general direction. "Priscilla is ready, as is Sir Marcus I believe. That is all…wait, Heath is ready as well."

"Thank you, Kent," Eliwood said, pinching the bridge of his nose in deep thought. The last thing he wanted to do was split up the army, especially considering how low on forces they were, but there was no way he could leave Rath and Isadora alone with Legault. The thief had proven himself untrustworthy, and he could be an extremely skilled assassin when he wanted to be. Leaving an unsuspecting Isadora and Rath with Legault could be tantamount to singing their death warrants, and Eliwood was nowhere near hard-hearted enough to allow that to come to pass.

"Kent could you call…" Eliwood closed his eyes, a quick plan sketching itself in his mind. "Sain, Fiora, Priscilla, and Heath over here."

"Right away, Lord Eliwood," Kent replied, quickly saddling his horse and riding away.

"I will be right back!" Eliwood shouted after him. Legault could have led his companions into a trap or an ambush by now, so the group who would be going after him would need all the help they could afford.

A few minutes later, Eliwood returned to the group Kent had summoned, Erk and Wil by his side. "Come here please," the lord asked.

"I have an extremely important mission for you all," Eliwood began as the group encircled him. "Approximately thirty minutes ago, a group of three left on an assigned mission to recover an important object, one vital to the army. This group, consisting of Rath, Isadora, and Legault, are unknowingly entering into an extremely dangerous area even as we speak; recent information has come to light that the Black Fang have been spotted too close to their goal for comfort.

"Your mission is to track and intercept the three and then return them to safety, preferably back here at camp. If it takes longer than a day to locate them though, then stay with them and aid them in their task. Afterwards, reconvene with us a soon as possible. Do you all understand?"

The group replied with their various agreements, although Wil's was noticeably less chipper than usual.

"Then suit up and leave as soon as possible. You do not need any further instructions or permission from me or anyone else; just leave as soon as you all are ready," Eliwood ordered, dismissing them with a solemn nod. "Godspeed and good fortune."

The group of seven left towards the armory, and Eliwood would have left as well, if not for the sound of Hector calling him.

"Eliwood!" Hector hailed, clasping the redhead's shoulder. "How did you know that Mark had told us we were leaving within the hour?"

"At this time of the day?" Eliwood asked, looking at the slowly setting sun. "What is Mark thinking? I thought we were waiting until tomorrow to leave…"

"You didn't know? Then why were you speaking with them?" Hector asked, motioning towards the group that had just left.

"…I assigned them a personal mission of the utmost importance," Eliwood said, his tone warning Hector not to press the subject.

"Shouldn't you have talked with Mark beforehand?" But of course, Hector purposefully missed the point of subtly.

"I was just about to," Eliwood lied smoothly.

"Then I'll walk with you until then," Hector said, grabbing Eliwood's arm, and for a moment, the redhead wished that Hector truly was the idiot that many people thought he was. The blue-haired lord was too smart to let things best left unmentioned go.

"I can walk on my own you know," Eliwood groused.

"I know, but it's fun to drag you around," Hector smirked.

"Fool," Eliwood muttered.

"And what has you so stressed, Eliwood?" Hector grinned. "Usually you're so calm, or at least you pretend to be, and it takes a lot for you to start losing your temper like this. Have you been sleeping lately?" Hector asked worriedly.

"I apologize, Hector," Eliwood said, head bowed. "It is just…I have learned some things recently that have put a bit of a strain on me."

"Anything to do with the party you just sent out?" Hector asked, digging for info.

"A bit," Eliwood replied. At Hector's questioning gaze, the redhead sighed. "I sent a group of three out earlier on one of their request - those seven are those three's back-up."

"Ten people, Eliwood?" Hector whistled, sending him a pitying glace. "I hope this mission of yours is fruitful, because Mark is gonna kill you for splitting the army otherwise. Who did you even send out?"

"Legault, Rath, and Isadora were the original three, and the second faction is composed of Kent, Sain, Fiora, Heath, Priscilla, Erk, and Wil."

"Damn, Eliwood," Hector sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "That was almost all of our cavalry, and a healer as well! Mark is going to kill you."

"I am well aware that Mark is going to be angry with me!" Eliwood snapped, destroying the blue-haired lord's grin.

"No need to act like a brat, Eliwood," Hector chided. "I was just playing with you."

"Hector. Hector," Eliwood grabbed his retreating friend's hand, stopping him. "I am sorry. I have been put under a lot of stress recently, but that is no excuse for taking it out on you. I'm sorry."

"Heh, it's fine," Hector laughed, lacing his fingers with Eliwood's. "I was actually hoping you'd blow up at me - maybe if you'd talk about your problems for once, you'd be less stressed out."

"Maybe," Eliwood admitted. "I have the feeling though that this situation I am in will not be resolved any time soon."

"Then come to me," Hector urged. "I will be here to help you. I will always be here."

"Hector…" Eliwood whispered, surprised by his friend's admission.

The blue-haired lord blushed faintly and, with a slightly-nervous chuckle, started dragging Eliwood towards Mark once more.

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Mark had been surprisingly accepting of Eliwood's actions, merely sending him a searching look and a quiet nod. Hector had been confused, but Eliwood had sent him away with a few comforting words, promising that he would explain everything to him another day.

Eliwood retired to his tent, pausing outside the entrance flap. He could hear Lloyd shifting inside; had the swordmaster calmed down yet?

The redhead knocked softly on one of the tent posts before entering. Lloyd was sitting on Hector's bedroll, legs crossed, watching Eliwood silently. The lord paused, unsure about what he was supposed to say. Was he supposed to apologize for his earlier behavior? Greet him genially? Ignore him?

Lloyd had his own ideas on what needed to be said. "I apologize," the blond said softly.

"Why?" Eliwood asked, moving to sit across from Lloyd on his own bedroll.

"My behavior earlier was unacceptable," Lloyd replied. "Legault told me earlier that you were not a bad person; not like all the other nobles in the world. That you spared me for unselfish reasons. I didn't believe him though."

"Why not?" Eliwood asked gently.

"It would be easier to ignore it than to accept it. My entire life, I was trained to abhor nobles; to me, people who abused their power, who took advantage of others simply because they were born lucky, were anathema. And to meet the exception to that rule, to meet a _just_ noble, went against everything I had ever believed in," Lloyd said, rubbing his left eye tiredly.

"And why face the problem when you can eliminate it?" Eliwood asked, staring at his lap.

Lloyd snorted. "I wouldn't have killed you," Lloyd said, glaring when Eliwood looked at him in disbelief. "I had a life debt owed to you; that needed to be repaid if I wanted to leave. And with you shattering all of my personal beliefs, I was ready to do anything to get away."

"And now?" Eliwood questioned. "You still owe a debt to me."

"Which will be repaid," Lloyd said, closing his eyes. "In time. For now though, I will remain by your side. Use me as you wish."

"As I wish?" Eliwood laughed. "Do you not think very highly of your existence? You have given me _carte blanche_, and I am not nearly pious enough not to take advantage of it."

Thanks to his well-trained reflexes, Lloyd was able to catch the razor Eliwood tossed almost casually at him, and the blond looked at the lord inquisitively.

"Even minor alterations to one's physiognomy can be enough to create a sufficient enough disguise when necessary," Eliwood smiled innocently, and Lloyd growled slightly.

"In Modern?"

"Shave off your beard-chin thing," the redhead said, scoffing at Lloyd's indignant look. "Please; you do not nearly look as good as you think you do with it."

"Have something against beards?" Lloyd asked, accepting the hand mirror and basin full of lather Eliwood offered.

"I would hardly call that thing a beard," Eliwood teased, chuckling at Lloyd's glare. "But yes, I do have something against facial hair in general. Father, though I love him dearly, had the most horrid of moustaches and Hector, only a year ago, thought it was the greatest idea ever to try and grow out a beard."

"And?" Lloyd pressed as he carefully shaved around his chin, listening amusedly to Eliwood's anecdote.

"It was horrible!" Eliwood exclaimed, laughing uncontrollably. "The first time I saw him, I though an ape had stolen his clothes!"

"That bad, huh?" Lloyd murmured.

"I thought I would never see my friend again, he was so matted down by hair. I ordered him to shave it all off immediately – I could not stand the sight of such a mess. Thankfully, Hector has sworn that he would never grow out a beard again," Eliwood sighed thankfully.

"Do you put a lot of weight in the promises of others?" Lloyd asked, washing off the lather that lingered on his cheeks.

"Yes, I do," Eliwood admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Which is why I get so angry when people break their promises to me."

"Do you have personal experience with that as well?" Lloyd questioned, sitting still as Eliwood carefully mussed his already messy blond hair.

"Case and point, Legault," Eliwood replied, biting his lip in frustration. Had anyone noticed Lloyd' distinctive eyes on the battlefield? They were hard to hide with the blond's relatively short hair, and tawny eyes such as his were fairly rare.

"Legault?" Lloyd asked, turning to face Eliwood directly. "When has Legault ever betrayed your trust?"

"He asked to leave camp a few hours ago with an extremely small contingent of soldiers for an unnamed task, but more importantly, he left without warning me you were awake!" Eliwood almost pouted, but resisted the childish notion. "For all he knew, you could have killed me – you even tried to in fact!"

"I told you, I was not going to kill you; merely free myself from my life debt by sparing your life as quickly as possibly. And besides, Legault knew that – I might as well have told him such," Lloyd said, brow furrowed in a small frown. "I don't know why he didn't tell you where he was going though; based on what I know of your character from him, I'm sure you would have helped him without hesitation."

"Wait, you know where Legault is? Why did you not tell me when I asked?" Eliwood asked.

"Not for certain, but I know where he should be. I asked him to do something for me," Lloyd shrugged nonchalantly. "And you were kind of threatening me with a dagger - I didn't really have that much motivation towards being cooperative."

"Any specifics?" Eliwood pressed, masterfully ignoring the reminder of his earlier uncouth behavior.

"Before our…scuffle, there was someone I knew that was near the battlefield. I sent Legault out to check and see if she was okay."

"If I might ask, who is she?" Eliwood inquired.

"She is…my sister," Lloyd's eyes softened at the remark, tawny-gold melting into honey-brown, and Eliwood was shocked by the seemingly stoic man's emotional confession. Then, the swordmaster returned to his more guarded state, leaving Eliwood wondering if he had imagined the whole scene. "I also asked Legault to bring Nino, that's her name, back here if possible." The blond shot Eliwood an inquisitive look, and the redhead chuckled internally. Someone was an over-protective big brother.

"That will be fine; I assume she is a member of the Black Fang?"

"She is young, but she is a skilled mage," Lloyd said, clenching his hands in what seemed like a reflexive motion. "Though not everyone sees her as such. Yes, she is a member, but she has never undertaken an assassination mission in her life. Her hands are clean."

"Undoubtedly they are," Eliwood murmured. "I do not believe you would speak so fondly about someone undeserving of your praise. I will be happy to meet her – the only problem is that we are being forced to march on shortly, on our tactician's orders."

"So soon after a battle?" Lloyd asked incredulously.

"We retained no grievous injuries, and therefore we must continue on," Eliwood shrugged, motioning for the blond's coat. "Or at least, that seems to be Mark's line of thinking."

"How will we meet up with Legault then?" Lloyd asked, reluctantly taking off his coat and handing it to Eliwood. That was his favorite jacket!

"I though Legault had betrayed us earlier, and I was concerned for the two soldiers accompanying him…" Eliwood trailed off, smiling sheepishly. "So I sent out a contingent of my own out after him."

"How large?" Lloyd asked, vague amusement coloring his voice.

"Seven members, mostly from our cavalry, for a total of ten including Legault's group," Eliwood replied, folding Lloyd's coat gently and placing it with his own clothes.

"You cavalry must be almost depleted then," Lloyd mused.

"Almost," Eliwood admitted. "They know where our destination is though, so hopefully as soon as they find Legault, they will be able to rejoin us."

"Did you give them a reason for trailing after Legault's group?"

"A very generic one: that they were on a mission, Blank Fang members were spotted, recover them before they enter enemy territory and get ambushed, et cetera," Eliwood handed Lloyd a plain brown coat that managed to nevertheless bring out the swordmaster's eyes. "Short but sufficient – the three would be returned unharmed and whatever I thought Legault was planning would be abrogated."

"And how long did it take to come up with that plan?" Lloyd asked, watching as Eliwood fidgeted at the sight of the bond's roughed up coat.

"How did you possibly ruin that coat already?" Eliwood muttered crossly. "To answer your question though, it took only a few minutes, which is probably why it is so sloppy."

"Not necessarily," Lloyd argued. "Under a stressed situation you acted in a quick and efficient manner based on the resources at hand. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Save for the fact that the army is now at a loss of almost one-third of its forces because of me," Eliwood frowned.

"If that is the case, then the blame lies more with me then," Lloyd said simply. "It was at my request that Legault left, setting into motion the events that caused you to suspect him and send out a force to follow him. Therefore it is my fault that your army is now weakened, not yours."

"I would never blame you for all that!" Eliwood exclaimed.

"Nor would I you," Lloyd replied.

Eliwood gaped at him for a long moment, before closing his mouth with a blush.

"Done with your pity party?" Lloyd smirked, and Eliwood glared at him. "Good. Now, how do I look?"

Even with a considerable lack of material, Eliwood thought he had done a good job. The blond's distinctive coat had been done away with and replaced with a less unique one, and his hair was in a slightly different style. The blond's clean chin also made him seem a bit younger and, though it wasn't much, the combined effect would be a good enough disguise for the moment.

"We will have to keep you out of the public eye until we can get you some different clothes, but you don't look half bad," Eliwood laughed suddenly, a bright and cheerful sound. "I have found the perfect way for you to pay off your debt to me: you can be my life-sized dress up doll!"

Lloyd took a step back away from the lord, his face pale.

"I am just kidding, Lloyd," Eliwood laughed. "Though your face – too funny!"

"How childish," Lloyd smirked.

"Not at all!" Eliwood rebutted.

"Oh?" Lloyd asked with a raised brow, and Eliwood opened his mouth to answer, when a soft voice outside the tent interrupted him.

"Eliwood?"

"Hm? Come in," Eliwood said, smiling when Lloyd shot him a startled look.

"Eliwood, Mark wanted me to tell you – oh!" Lucius halted, staring wide-eyed at Lloyd. "Um, how are you feeling, Sir Lloyd?"

"Just Lloyd, please," Lloyd requested, and Eliwood almost laughed again at the slight blush Lucius' honorific had caused. "And I am fine, thank you."

"That is good," Lucius smiled gently, turning to Eliwood. "Mark wants us to leave soon; apparently the bandits Lord Hector heard about in town might leave their fortress soon or something or another, and he told me to tell you to start packing up."

"Thank you, Lucius," Eliwood said, smiling even after the blonde bishop left. "So debt-boy," Eliwood purred, stalking towards the nearly horror-stricken Lloyd. "You heard him; start packing."

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Like many other pubs, the air was filled with smoke and raucous laughter, the sounds and smells disorientating Legault slightly. By his side, Isadora was visibly nervous, and Legault swore he saw Rath sneer at least once at the drunken crowd.

Legault could never stand bars, or any other places that served alcohol; too many things could go wrong, especially in terms of sudden violence, and the three were at least trying to be inconspicuous to avoid something like a bar fight. Unfortunately, they were failing royally thanks to Isadora who had refused to remove her sparkling, _silver_ armor on the grounds that she did not want any lecherous men staring at her chest.

Not that it was stopping them.

Still, he had an important message to deliver and then the trio would have to begin again their so-far-fruitless search for Nino. Although there had been some sightings of a green-haired girl around town (they were fairly unique after all), Legault was far more worried about the rumor that she was being accompanied by an injured red-haired man. Unless Eliwood had decided to teleport down to Nino's side, Legault knew he had reason to be worried for Nino's continued safety.

Speaking of Eliwood, Legault wondered idly over how his first meeting with Lloyd had gone. The thief doubted that Lloyd was serious in considering continuing his assignment (he wouldn't have left otherwise), but hopefully the blond hadn't said or done something rash to set off Eliwood's temper – after all, if he had, all the redhead would have to do is drag Lloyd out of his tent and the blond would be as good as dead.

Which would be bad because Eliwood would never forgive himself, and the last thing the lord needed in Legault's opinion was more reason for depression. The redhead had remained remarkably strong underneath all the sudden weight heaped upon him from being elected one of the heads of the army (especially when he seemed so uncomfortable in an authoritative position) and from his father's recent death, and Legault was loath to add anymore pressure on the peace-loving lord.

A shift of brown caught Legault's eye, and the thief grinned slyly. Just who he had been looking for.

"Jan, old pal!" The addressed man spun on his heel, a reflexive motion that came hand-in-hand with being part of a high class assassination/terrorist group for years.

"Legault? Is that you?" The aging man asked. "I thought you'd be dead in a ditch by now."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I've come for that favor you owed me," The elder stiffened in expectation, but Legault just laughed disarmingly. "Relax, Jan; it's nothing bad. I just need you to deliver this," Legault pulled out a sealed envelope from his cloak and handed it to Jan discreetly, "to Linus."

"Linus?" Jan asked curiously before tucking the letter away in a hidden pocket. "I assume you want this letter to stay confidential?"

"Yes, thank you," Legault replied, glancing at Rath out of the corner of his eye. The quiet Sacaen nodded, and wandered off to go collect Isadora. "Try and sick around a few more years, old man."

"I'll see what I can do," Jan laughed wryly.

"I suppose that's all I can ask for," Legault shrugged. Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and Legault whirled around much like Jan had earlier to face the source of the noise. A flushed Isadora stood above an unconscious man, muttering under her breath murderously about perverts and where their wandering hands could be shoved.

The thief sighed, hanging his head. "And that's my cue. See ya, Jan."

The elder man merely snorted, returning to his drink. Legault quickly made his way over to Isadora, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards the door.

"Come on, Isadora; you can rant all you want about evil men and why we should rot in hell when we're not in a pub filled with numerous, easily-offended, very strong men ready to tear our heads off."

"Let them try!" Isadora shouted. "In the name of all women, I will crush the testicles of all those who wish to grope me!"

Rath joined Legault in his sigh this time and quietly grabbed the furious paladin's other arm, dragging her to the stables where they had left their horses.

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So, how did you all find this chapter? From canon, I'm starting to _diverge~_

Well, apart from the fact that Lloyd is still alive that is, but that was the beginning plot point, and these are the effects of said not-death.

Now we have the _dramatis personae_ split in three: Eliwood's faction, Heath's faction, and Legault's faction. What will happen next? Who will come together and who will fall apart? What new romances will occur (psst; check the top of the chapter), but more importantly, what romances will be written about in depth (psst; hopefully a surprising amount)?

So stick around, the journey is just beginning!

Ariaeris~


	5. Chapter the Fifth

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Ariaeris' ironically unmerciful fanfiction, otherwise known as "A Moment of Mercy."

A warning before we begin: chronologically speaking, this story has finally passed into Chapter 25 of Fire Emblem (No, it will not take another five chapters for the next battle…hopefully). Therefore, I am presented with a fairly new problem, or at least one that is new to me.

Battle scenes. Which I suck at writing on the spot.

Not willing to brush over these scenes entirely, I am instead just going to put little snippets of the battle in that are based on my own interactions in those chapters (yes, I am replaying Fire Emblem as we speak; I would never be able to remember the plotline otherwise). Now, some of you out there might say that my battle tactics suck, or that you would never complete a chapter like how I did.

You are most likely right. My tactics do usually suck, but I have managed to complete the entire game (albeit on Normal mode) without losing a single character multiple times. So I feel at least justified in saying that I would prefer no reviews labeling me a n00b or any other derogatory name. I do accept legitimate criticism though, so please, if you have any questions or concerns, drop me a review or send me a PM.

And yes, I am begging shamelessly for reviews. Why do you care though? You have a chapter to read.

…Also, I have no idea how to ride a horse, nor do I have the slightest clue about the mechanics of riding a flying one. No criticism about that either, okay?

Also, also, thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys all rock!

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Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe (though there are hints of its continued existence), Swearing, Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, etc. And a sympathetic Priscilla, which I have heard is hard to find in a slash-centered story.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Rath/Wil, potential Kent/Fiora, potential Sain/Priscilla, Others to be determined.

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**_A Moment of Mercy_**

_Chapter 5: Resolute, I stand Beside You_

_There is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music._

_-John Keats_

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"Why are we going here again? And where are we going in the first place?" Lloyd grumbled, trudging beside Eliwood at the back of the army, who was looking infuriatingly perky for someone who supposedly tired easily from physical activity. They had been walking for a few hours, having only stopped once and that was for the night, and the blond was already starting to hate the tactician's slave-driving pace.

"I have already told you twice," Eliwood chided, a small frown tugging at his lips. "Please retain at least some semblance of short-term memory; I am getting tired of repeating myself."

"Sorry," Lloyd muttered, rolling his eyes when Eliwood wasn't looking.

"Queen Hellene commanded us to retrieve a crown jewel that was stolen recently from the Bern royal vault, one that is apparently vital to her son's ascension ceremony," Eliwood replied, glaring. "And do not roll your eyes at me."

"Sorry," Lloyd repeated a little less sarcastically. "The jewel – I assume you mean the Fire Emblem?"

"Yes," Eliwood nodded. "The events surrounding the theft are a bit suspicious though."

"A bit?" Lloyd snorted. "The crown jewel of the most heavily-guarded and militaristic nation on Elibe was suddenly stolen days before the king's not-well-liked-by-him son was to be named his heir, and you call the situation merely a _bit_ suspicious?"

"I was trying to look on the bright side of things," Eliwood muttered furiously, blushing.

"There is a difference between being optimistic and deliberately fooling yourself," Lloyd scoffed. "You can't really deny the likely conclusion, can you?"

"Of course not," Eliwood huffed. "I'm not that naïve."

Lloyd smirked, chuckling a bit. "And why are we implicating ourselves in the Bern royal family's drama?"

"If we return the Fire Emblem to the Queen, then she will give us the location of the area we are going to next," Eliwood sighed. "This is the only path available to us at the moment."

"I'd rather not have to deal with any underhanded deals with the Queen," Lloyd groused. "That woman is beyond reason when it comes to her son; though having her in our debt would undoubtedly be useful, if we fail, then she will in no way welcome our return with open arms. She will see us as the reason for her son's lost ascension, and though she does not have control over the entirety of the Bern army, she will no doubt use what forces are available to her to pursue us in a fit of vengeance. That is the last thing we need at the moment."

"Then we do not fail," Eliwood said lightly. "And don't you think that you are being a bit harsh with your critique of her? There is nothing wrong with being a protective mother."

"She is not a mother," Lloyd frowned. "Spurned by her king and husband, she has become a very bitter woman. She sees her genius of a son as nothing more than a tool, a pawn in her vendetta against the king. I can't stand people who would treat their child in such a way!"

An awkward silence hung between the two and the few sets of eyes that had locked on them following Lloyd's outburst slowly drifted away. Lloyd sighed gustily, brushing a hand through his hair. "Sorry about that; I'm not usually this quick to lose my temper."

"It is fine," Eliwood murmured, looking at his companion in concern. "Yesterday, when you were talking about your younger sister, you called her a genius with magic. You also mentioned that someone did not recognize, or chose not to recognize, her skill," Eliwood paused before cautiously pushing on. "Is that why you hold some personal enmity towards the queen? Because she treats the crown prince in a way that your sister is treated?"

Lloyd laughed shortly, a bitter chuckle. "A throwaway line and you have me revealed; astounding. It has been a long time since someone could read me as well as you can, and never in such a short time. You are right; Sonia treats Nino as is she were nothing, less than nothing, and I fear that when whatever illusions she holds towards Sonia is destroyed, Nino will be heartbroken irreparably."

"Irreparably? I doubt it," Eliwood reassured gently. "Not with someone like you by her side."

"Thank you," Lloyd smiled slightly in return. "But back on topic; the answer to my second question still eludes me. I know why we are going here, but what that here is remains unknown."

"To tell the truth, I do not know exactly what our destination is either," Eliwood admitted with a slight frown. "Hector heard a rumor in town yesterday that he swears is from a legitimate source, and that information has led us to...wherever we are going."

"Quite the risky strategy," Lloyd mused.

"Mark sent out Florina, our only remaining flying unit, as reconnaissance," Eliwood said as they moved towards the rest of the army, which had stopped to set up a temporary camp alongside a river. "That's her over there." The redhead pointed to a small speck a distance away that was soaring over a lake. "According to her, there are three fortresses in the surrounding area. Though they appear to be abandoned save for a few of the thieves that supposedly stole the Fire Emblem, I still wonder what their purpose was..."

"Three fortresses…" Lloyd trailed off, glancing slowly around the surrounding area, his sharp gold eyes taking in the fort that was just off to their left surrounded by numerous copses of trees. The blond swore suddenly and grabbed Eliwood's wrist, dragging him behind him as he sprinted over to Mark's side.

"Lloyd. Eliwood," Mark blinked, looking up from the book he always seemed to be reading.

"Call Florina back," Lloyd ordered, still holding on to the panting Eliwood.

"What?" Mark questioned, cool grey eyes glittering curiously.

"Just call her back!" Lloyd shouted, craning his neck as if to see the opposite shore of the lake. Mark stared at him calculatingly for a brief moment before turning and signing for the Pegasus knight to return. The blond was still alternating watching the growing black speck that was Florina and the opposite shore of the lake when Hector stormed over, wrenching Eliwood from his grasp.

"Hey, new guy," Hector growled, staring at him murderously. "What do you think you're doing?"

Lloyd bit his lip in frustration; he knew where they were and he knew that Hector had been tricked somehow. The only thing here was that psychopath, Pascal Grentzer, and a contingent of Black Fangs devoted to keeping watch over him, and he knew that none of them would hesitate to shoot down an enemy Pegasus knight with the ballistae near the main fortress. And if they had been directed here purposefully, to a Black Fang hideout, then…

The odd, green-haired siblings that Eliwood had introduced him to earlier suddenly gasped in time with the familiar creaking of worn-down ballistae, and the eyes of the army briefly flitted to them before everyone started readying their weapons, all too familiar with Ninian and Nils' precognition concerning danger.

Just then, a ballista bolt landed a few feet to the left the army, kicking up dust and gravel. The members of the army close the impact shielded their eyes, and everyone jumped as another bolt landed right behind them.

"Damn them," Hector bit out. "They're corralling us."

"We have no choice then," Mark said grimly. "Move towards the central tract of land!" The tactician shouted, and the army briefly paused to listen to his commands. "Serra, Guy, and Matthew, stay towards the back; Marcus, you go with them and defend them. Eliwood, Lyndis, Hector, we will take the front lines; Hawkeye, Raven you come with us, Lucius as well. Rebecca, I want you to take a ballista as soon as you can, and Dart, provide defense for her. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" the army chorused, moving into their assigned positions, save for Lyn who had run to the lake's shore, staring at her incoming lover.

"Come on, come on Florina," Lyn chanted, tensing as the third and final ballista cocked. "Get a move on, come _on_," Lyn bit out, and Serra switched places with Dart, clutching her Recover staff in a death grip. "Florina, _please_," Lyn flinched, eyes wide open as the final ballista launched, its bolt flying through the air directly at Florina.

The orchid-haired Pegasus knight, hearing the whistle of the bolt rent through the air, clutched her steed's reigns tightly, eyes flashing determinedly. "Come on, Huey," she whispered. "We can do this." Florina wrenched back on Huey's reigns causing the Pegasus to rear back, and Florina tightened her legs in an order she had never dared give her friend before.

Huey's wings locked to his side, continuing his previous motion, and Florina could feel gravity take over as they completed their in air rotation, the two quickly falling from the sky. The young Pegasus knight smiled victoriously as the bolt flew over them, directly where they had been but a few moments before, and Florina let herself fall peacefully as Huey righted himself automatically. "Great job, Huey," she whispered as the Pegasus huffed, releasing its wings and gliding the short distance to Lyn's side.

The proud Sacaen was almost overwhelmed with tears as she ran over, leaping onto the Pegasus and embracing her lover. "Don't ever do something so foolish again," Lyn ordered, clutching her tightly.

"I'm sorry," Florina apologized, smiling as she hugged Lyn back.

Lyn didn't reply, kissing her forehead discreetly before slowly slipping off the Pegasus and running back to her position. "Stay safe," Lyn shouted as she ran. "I need to punish you for the little stunt later, and I can't do that if you're dead now, can I?"

"As you command, Lyndis," Florina whispered as she readied her steel lance, petting Huey's mane.

Hector blinked incredulously, his mouth hanging open in pure awe of the diminutive Pegasus knight, and Eliwood reached over and shut it with an audible click. The blue-haired lord blushed slightly and nodded at his friend, readying his silver axe on his shoulder. "Are you ready, Eliwood?"

"I am," Eliwood smiled, drawing his own silver sword. "Get in position; I will be there in just a second."

Hector nodded and rushed off to stand beside Mark, the tactician glancing at Eliwood and Lloyd silently. Eliwood turned to the silent swordmaster, clutching his sword in his hand. "I do not expect you to fight; these are you comrades and I would never set you against them. But please," and here, Eliwood offered his blade to the wide-eyed blond. "Take this blade in case you need to defend yourself. I have no desire to see you injured."

Lloyd stared at him for a long moment, gold eyes indecipherable. Those eyes held a bit of confusion, but it was overshadowed by a firm will and dedication. The blond accepted the sword, moving to stand close beside Eliwood.

"I will fight."

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The group of seven set out to find Legault's company rode mainly in oppressive silence, broken intermittently by Sain or Wil's attempts at levity, but even those valiant attempts did not lessen the burden heaped upon their shoulders. Each one of them was familiar with the burden that was another's life in your hands; in each fight, there was always the possibility that someone could either live or die based on how you acted, what you did, if you were fast enough, and too many other variables. It was a crushing weight at times, but each could rely on their companions to support them when that burden got too heavy to bear.

Now though, three of their companions, three people who were close enough to them that they were willing to risk their lives for, were walking headlong into danger, and could quite possibly meet their deaths because of their ignorance. The seven could sympathize with Eliwood; as they rode recklessly through the forests in an effort to catch up with their predecessors, pushing their steeds as fast as they safely could, they understood just why Mark, and Eliwood, and all commanders strive to protect their armies.

The idea of a comrade dying, especially when such a fate could be changed, was staggering. To hold someone's life in your hands was a blessing and a curse, a symbol of implicit trust that came with a great deal of responsibility; and to fail, to let someone who had trusted you die, was unthinkably painful. And yet, all seven of them had willingly accepted that possibility, opened their hearts to extraordinary pain, in order for the chance to save their comrades. What if they had refused? Eliwood might have been disappointed, but the Pheraen lord was much too kind to actually punish them for abdicating from a mission. But what if they had been the key component to the success of the mission? If so, then wouldn't they forever be haunted by what they hadn't done?

And so they all chose to go. Because Eliwood believed they were necessary to the three's survival and they would go to any length to assure that goal was reached. And even if they failed, even if their charges were not retrieved, then they would know that they had done everything in their power to save them. It wasn't completely reassuring, but it was...comforting in a sense. Knowing that if you fought your hardest, tried your best, and done all that could possibly be done, failure, while daunting and painful, could be stemmed with the reassurance that nothing else could have changed what was obviously meant to be.

It was fatalistic, but rare was the person who could still be optimistic after the horrors of warfare had been heaped upon them. And it was enough to keep a world-weary soldier standing and looking towards the future, because at times, the knowledge that you had done all that you could was all that was left to stave off the inevitable nightmares carried on failure's wings.

This knowledge that Legault, Isadora, and Rath's fate could depend on their actions was what almost drove the seven past the young green-haired girl and her companion, purposefully ignoring her cries for help. They did not have the luxury of spare time to offer aid for the young girl, no matter how heartless it seemed to reject her plaintive cries with a turned face and a hardened heart. And yet, one among the group felt her spirit resonate with anguish, and she faltered in the reality of pain. She, who had sworn to devote her life to aiding others, could not reject the other's heartbroken pleas. She stopped her horse, her companions stopping once they noticed she was not following them.

"Go on ahead," Priscilla said softly. "I will be right there."

"Are you crazy?" Heath said, his wyvern swooping down to land beside her. "We can't stop now; Legault and the others need us as urgently as possible, and besides that, you are a healer. We can't leave you alone when you can't fend for yourself!"

"I..." Priscilla stuttered, looking to Erk for support. The mage gazed at her for a long moment before giving her a quiet nod. Knowing that she had her guard as support, no matter how long it had been since their contract had been terminated by them joining Eliwood's army, Priscilla took a deep breath before facing Heath dead on. "I am going to help that young girl."

"What?" Heath and Kent squawked at that same time.

"O beauteous lady," Sain sang. "You can not be serious, my dear. We must go and rescue our comrades. Surely someone else will come along to help those two." Priscilla, in a fit of sarcasm that oftentimes eluded her, glanced around the forest they were in, her hand covering her brow as if to see these other travelers who would come and help the duo.

"Priscilla," Kent said calmly. "We really can not afford any detours. I know you want to help them, but we can not leave you by yourself to do so; likewise, we can not split up either. The possibility of a Black Fang assault lies in the future, and we will need all the help we can get to face them, especially that of a healer."

"I know," Priscilla said, shaking her head. "I know this, Sir Kent. And yet..." Priscilla looked to the sun peeking through the treetops, trying to verbalize when her heart was screaming at her to do. "Have you ever had the feeling that you need to do something, that something inside you is demanding you to perform some sort of action, lest you abandon whatever happiness fate has promised you?"

Kent and Sain looked at each other solemnly, remembering the first time they had met Lyn and how they had chased after her, their minds knowing that she could be the lost Lady Lyndis, while their hearts ordered them to protect the woman they had never met before, instinctively knowing that she was someone who would become important to them.

"You do," Priscilla said firmly. "Perhaps you do not know it, but every one of us has been influenced by something: a whim, a fancy, a feeling of fate. One should listen to these moments and follow them, or at least, I believe one should. And now, my heart is telling me to aid those two. Perhaps it is reckless and dangerous, and maybe it is putting Lady Isadora, Rath, and Legault in more danger then they already are in, but...I can't deny what I feel I am destined to do."

That said, Priscilla turned her horse around, meeting the thankful eyes of the little girl who had cried almost-futilely at the seven, smiling reassuringly. "This is my choice."

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"Dart, watch out for the Pegasus riders on your left. Rebecca, take care of them if you can," Mark ordered, moving with Hector as he slaughtered another cavalier. "Eliwood, Lloyd watch out for your -" Mark choked, a frail hand rising to his throat. He held his stomach as a wave of nausea rose upon him, and Eliwood glanced at him in worry. "Left!" Mark gasped, and Eliwood turned just in time to dodge a pirate's thrown hand axe. Mark watched as Eliwood used his light brand to take down the pirate, Lloyd moving in to kill its companion.

That feeling - it had been the same one he had felt when Eliwood had decided to save Lloyd, but stronger. Much stronger, Mark grimaced, discreetly coughing up a globule of blood from when he had accidentally bit his tongue.

What did this feeling mean?

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"Hello, miss," Priscilla greeted, smiling gently. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Are you a healer?" The young girl asked, her cheeks red with tear stains. "Or perhaps, is one of your friends one? Or do you have a vulnerary to spare, or maybe some bandages?"

"Is your companion injured?" Priscilla questioned, discreetly checking over the redheaded male to see if he had any obvious wounds.

The younger girl's lips trembled as if she were about to cry, but she pulled herself together courageously. "Yes, ma'am. He...he was injured in a fight a few days ago, and I've been trying to help him, but I'm not a healer, and I've probably done more harm than good as always, and -" Priscilla grabbed the girl by her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. She tensed for a moment before relaxing in the troubadour's embrace.

"Relax, child," Priscilla soothed, brushing the girl's short green hair. "I can help you and your friend. My name is Priscilla and I am a troubadour; I will be able to help your friend."

"Really?" Nino gasped, pulling back to stare at Priscilla in awe. "You'd do that? But I have no money, and no way to repay you."

"That is fine, child," Priscilla smiled. "I need no repayment, save your name. I can not keep calling you 'you' or 'child' after all."

The younger girl tensed, her eyes shifting furtively for a moment, and Priscilla mourned that a girl her age was already so wary of the world. "My name," she hesitated, before staring into Priscilla's warm eyes. "Is Nino."

"Nino?" Priscilla asked, her smile widening. "What a pretty name!"

Nino giggled, snuggling into Priscilla's arms. "Thank you," the mage said quietly, before gasping, wrenching herself out of the troubadour's arms. "I'm sorry, but we need to help Jaf-"

"Jaf?" Priscilla asked. "Is that your friend's name?"

"Yeah," Nino laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "Jasper."

"So is Jaf a nickname?" Priscilla asked, peeling off the too small cloak that covered his chest. The troubadour could not contain a horrified gasp, shocked at the bloody and hastily-stitched wound on the young man's side.

"I'm so sorry," Nino apologized, her large blue eyes filling with tears. "I was so scared when he came to me, and he was bleeding everywhere, and I couldn't stop it no matter what I did." The young mage trembled, and Priscilla watched in barely-hidden horror as she seemed to shrink into herself before her eyes. "I tried some vulneraries that Lloyd had given me, but Jaf-sper's wound was too large and they didn't work. And I had no clue what to do, but I remembered Father stitching up Linus once, so I tried to do the same thing, and I'm so sorry, I'm so stupid, I probably just hurt him more than anything else, I'm sorry, so sorry."

Priscilla leapt from the forest floor, hugging Nino tightly. "Don't ever think that," Priscilla ordered, clutching the young girl to her chest. "You are not stupid, and you did the best you could. You are a great young girl, and you probably saved this man's life. You have nothing to apologize for, Nino; you've done nothing wrong." Nino trembled before breaking down, bawling into Priscilla's embrace, and the troubadour rocked her back and forth, letting the young mage release her long-held tears.

The other six respectfully turned away from the scene, though Wil turned back every once in a while, watching in concern as Priscilla whispered words of comfort to the sobbing Nino.

"What are we going to do?" Fiora whispered, and the five turned to face her.

"What do you mean?" Wil asked.

"Look at Jasper's wound," Fiora murmured, and the group turned to look at the grisly thing. "It will never heal correctly unless all of the stitches are removed beforehand. Although Priscilla is correct, Nino might have saved Jasper's life by stitching his wound up, she still put his life in danger. Priscilla will have to remove every stitch before using her Mend staff, and that is a time consuming process."

"And knowing Priscilla, she would never allow Jasper or Nino out of her sight until he is fully healed," Erk finished, sighing.

"We can't take him with us," Kent argued.

"Why can't we?" Fiora asked, crossing her arms over her chest. The red-haired cavalier stared at her before answering.

"We are already wasting enough time as it is; if we want to make up lost time, we will have to move as fast as we can, and that would be in no way beneficial to an injured man," Kent said, and Sain and Heath nodded with him. "We would have to move at a snail's pace in order to keep him safe on a horse."

"Then I will keep him on my Pegasus," Fiora declared, her tense stance daring anyone to argue with her. "My Pegasus rides much more smoothly than your horses; I will be able to carry him without jostling his wounds. One of you can take Nino, and Priscilla will be able to heal Jasper once we find the others. Any objections?"

"A number of them!" Kent exclaimed. "You say that you will be able to offer that man a gentle ride? What if we are ambushed and it is necessary for you to fight? How will you be able to support him then? And what if his wounds reopen mid-flight? How will you be bale to take care of him? We do not even know if they are not members of the Black Fang itself!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Kent," Sain chided. "Do they look like Black Fangs to you? I mean really, an innocent girl and her traveling companion? Not the most likely candidates for an assassination circle."

"Still," Kent said weakly, but the combined force of Fiora's glare and Sain's puppy dog eyes wore him down. "Fine, they can come with us."

"Yay!" Sain and Wil cheered, high-fiving.

"Thanks for the update, leader boy," Heath smirked, chuckling as Kent glared at him.

"Knew you'd come around," Fiora smiled, and Kent glanced away blushing, sending Sain into fits of laughter.

"Whatever," Kent muttered, turning to address Priscilla, who held a limp Nino in her arms. "Is she okay?"

"She is fine, just exhausted," Priscilla said reassuringly. "As for Jasper, I believe he will be alright as well. True, his wound appears horrendous, but it looks worse than it is. I will just have to be careful when I remove his stitches later on to prevent any unnecessary bleeding." Priscilla turned with a slight smile to Fiona, Sain swooning in the background over its 'glorious beauty'. "Thank you, Fiora for offering to take Jasper."

"You heard us?" Fiora asked.

"I have good hearing," Priscilla replied, handing Nino to Heath as she mounted her horse. "And I am sorry for the distraction from our task."

"Do not worry for a single second, my dear," Sain chirped, skipping to her side and taking her hand. "It is only natural for your merciful spirit to come to the front and shine upon those in need. In fact, you are never more beautiful then when you are helping others."

"Thank you, Sain," Priscilla said with a small smile, accepting Nino back from Heath and placing the younger girl in front of her.

"Ah, beautiful princess," Sain exclaimed, even as Kent dragged him back to his horse.

Priscilla merely smiled, almost surprised at how...happy she felt.

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Eliwood wiped the sweat off his forehead, rushing from Merlinus to bring a new Mend staff to Serra. The army had been playing it safe, funneling the seemingly never ending hoard of cavaliers into the bottleneck jut of land that connected their central island to the mainland. Rebecca had managed to take out the enemy ballistae before their own ballista broke, and now she and Dart were picking off the remaining enemy Pegasus knights and pirates. Florina had managed to fly over the lake with Lyn to reach the rightmost fortress, and they were now defending it from a number of monks. Matthew had also managed to take the southern fortress with Guy's help, the various copses providing enough cover for them to eliminate the entire enemy forces surrounding the fortress and take it with ease.

"Here," Eliwood panted as he reached Serra, the cleric accepting the staff with a distracted nod, continuing to heal Hector who had taken a lance to the hip. Eliwood dashed back to his assigned post, smiling briefly as Lloyd glanced at him from a small distance away. The blond swordmaster smiled back, countering a cavalier's attack with his worn-down blade. Eliwood bit his lip; should he return to Merlinus for another one or should he -

"Eliwood!" Someone shouted, and he ducked instinctively, swearing reflexively as a spear shot overhead. Who the hell gave an ordinary enemy a spear!?

"Well if it isn't Eliwood of Pherae," A raspy voice chuckled, and Eliwood whirled around, grimacing at the sight of a grimy older man with an absolutely disgusting _moustache_. "That bitch told me you'd be coming, and I just can't wait to see how loud you'll scream as I tear you limb form limb. Should I rip you to pieces now or after I take care of the rest of your pathetic frie-" The wind whistled as Eliwood took a step back in horror, and the sound of metal on metal interrupted the deranged man.

"Tell me Pascal," Lloyd said conversationally, whispering delightedly in the paladin's ear. "How loud will you scream?"

"Lloyd," The man, Pascal, wheezed before falling to the ground, his body a hideous mess of torn flesh and blood. Eliwood stifled a scream as best he could, and Lloyd started at the sound, looking up from where he had been grinning at Pascal's corpse.

"Eliwood," Lloyd murmured, moving towards the redhead, his bloody blade falling to the ground. As the battle raged around them, their companions taking care of the last of the enemy forces, Eliwood watched as Lloyd kneeled beside him, looking at him sorrowfully. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Why? How?" Eliwood choked out, startled by his newfound friend's (gods, was he even a friend, or just a man in debt to him?) brutality.

"Because he was worth less to me than you are," Lloyd replied, standing up and offering a bloody hand to Eliwood. The lord stared at it, blood slowly dripping from the blond's fingers, before closing his eyes. This was war; he understood. You had to do whatever you could to protect what was precious to you. But then why would Lloyd do this for him, someone he had just met?

Eliwood shook away his thoughts, reaching up to grasp the offered hand. Lloyd grinned crookedly, hoisting Eliwood to his feet, and the two walked side by side to claim the final fortress as their own.

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According to Serenes Forest, Lloyd (with a strength of 18 at level 12, which is the level you fight him against on his version of chapter 24) would be able to one-hit kill Pascal with a critical hit when equipped with a silver sword. If you need a diagram, then:

Lloyd: 18str + (silver sword) 13mt = 31 - (Pascal's defense) 13def = 18 x (critical hit) 3 = 54dmg: 48hp - 54dmg = One very dead Pascal Grentzer.

...I'm not even sure if that is how the damage would be calculated, but I'm too lazy to actually research the formula. Never mind, that is the correct way it would be calculated. God, I'm good at research (and modesty). Rest assured, Pascal would be mincemeat no matter what. Literally.

Anyway, as always, reviews are loved and cherished highly. Any questions will also be answered, any complaints taken into note, and any concerns reassured hopefully.

See you next chapter,

Ariaeris~

Ps: I have a poll up on my profile (_Check it~_) that will determine how this story will continue. Basically, do you want shorter updates, or longer ones but you get extra things along with the chapters (like omakes (_yay, random Japanese!_), previews, and other assorted things).

And, before anyone gets up in a snit, the difference between posting times would not be that long. I do have quite a bit of the story written after all, and writing omakes and crap won't take that long at all.

So vote and decide!


	6. Chapter the Sixth

Yes, another chapter. I'm about as surprised as you all are.

Nevertheless, I do have the sixth chapter for all you people out there who have been patiently waiting for it. That wasn't sarcasm for anyone who was wondering; this chapter is a gift to you very few people who actually read this and review.

All you other people can go to hell for not reviewing, and therefore making me cry.

Thanks to the results of my poll (which will not be disclosed on account of getting a painfully small amount of votes), there will be omakes and whatever in this story. I am going to take a page out of Stalker of Stories' book and place the omakes and crap after the notes at the bottom of each chapter which I know you all read with a fanatic passion. These things will not necessarily be canon; some of them will actually directly contradict what goes on in this universe. In cases such as this, I will clearly define whether these scenes are canon or not.

Any questions? No? _Good._

If that is the case, then,

Enjoy~

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Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe (though there are hints of its continued existence), Swearing (quite a bit this chapter, in fact; half of it takes place in a bar, so it is to be expected), Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Rath/Wil, potential Kent/Fiora, potential Sain/Priscilla, Others to be determined.

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_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 6: The Importance of not Tolerating attempted Fox-Murderers_

_If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man._

_- Mark Twain_

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"That was successful," Lyn snarked as she hefted her pack onto her shoulder, shooting a venomous glare at Hector. The usually mulish noble ducked his head in embarrassment; the condemnations of the rest of the army had taken a toll on the blue-haired lord, and though the situation he had gotten them into with his faulty information was not entirely his fault, he was an easy target for their ire.

Considering that he spent twenty-thousand gold on a single Pegasus knight as well, most of the army was ready to string him up; Merlinus, in fact, was being kept under lock and key after he tackled Hector to the ground in a fit of indignant rage.

Though Eliwood could sympathize with Hector somewhat, they had both recently made less than wise decisions concerning the army (though at least Eliwood could claim he still had good standing in the army - no one knew yet that he had divided the army because he had felt spurned of all things) after all, there was still something inherently humorous about seeing the meek merchant beating the heavily-armored Hector with his fists, screaming about demons and reckless spenders and all sorts of other evils.

Eliwood had briefly considered standing with his friend sympathetically, but even Lyn had turned her back on Hector for the moment (though she was pleased at Florina being reunited with her prodigal sister, she was not pleased at having another money-thrift in the army, especially one that had cheated them out of so much gold), and no matter how much he treasured Hector, he had no wish to be another focus for the army's anger.

Besides, Hector would be fine; he was a strong and he did not need Eliwood to ease his wounds every time someone decided to insult him.

Eliwood had more immediate concerns in any case; Lloyd was keeping a respectful distance between him and Eliwood, and the lord had already grown tired of not having his newly-found conversationalist speaking with him. Also, Legault, his group, and the group that had gone after him had not reported in yet, and so Eliwood had been forced to admit to his companions that they would be meeting up with the main force of the army later - something that did not sit well with him and, though it assuaged most of the main faction's fears, their continued absence only amplified his own.

What he needed now was someone to talk to, and with Lucius fawning over the recently injured Raven and Mark driving himself and the army into the ground with yet another relentless march, Lloyd was the only viable option for unloading his fears upon. Well, Lyn was as well, but he did not want to trouble her in her still emotionally-fragile state with his concerns. It would be best to leave her alone and let her enjoy Florina's newfound happiness at reuniting with both her sisters than to trouble her with his own concerns.

Tired of Lloyd avoiding him, Eliwood marched up to the swordmaster (discreetly of course; he didn't want to cause a scene after all), and grasped his shoulder lightly. The blond jumped, something that surprised Eliwood; he would never have thought that he could catch Lloyd unaware.

"Are you okay, Lloyd?" Eliwood asked in concern, and he felt Lloyd's shoulder tense a bit under his grip.

"I'm fine," he replied gruffly.

"Really?" Eliwood asked rhetorically, standing in front of the swordsman and forcing him to stop walking. Lloyd glared at him weakly, and Eliwood smirked victoriously. "How about you stop lying to me and actually tell me what is wrong? For all you know it might help."

"I'm fine," Lloyd insisted, brushing past Eliwood.

"You do know that there is no way you are going to convince me that you are okay," Eliwood said blithely, falling into step beside Lloyd. "So just tell me what is wrong and I will stop annoying you incessantly on this subject."

"So that you will be able to annoy me about a different one?" Lloyd muttered, and Eliwood smiled cheekily. "Fine…I am worried about Nino."

"Undoubtedly you are, but that is not the only thing you are concerned about. Lloyd?" Eliwood stopped, and Lloyd glanced back at him. "I will not press you on this subject, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I will be there. Okay?"

Lloyd paused, staring at Eliwood for a long moment. Then, the blond nodded in agreement before continuing onward.

Mental Eliwood did a jig of hysterical happiness.

One problem solved, Eliwood turned his sight to Mark, who had begun acting oddly after the battle by the lake. Eliwood had not witnessed it, but according to Hector, the tactician had seized up suddenly during the encounter and had been acting oddly ever since.

Being the wonderful friend he was, Eliwood could not just let whatever was bothering Mark rest and, being very tired from all the walking and fighting they had done in the past few days, Eliwood would not let a possible chance to convince Mark to stop the army for the night pass him by.

As he jogged closer, Eliwood winced at the sight of Mark. The normally pale tactician seemed almost sallow as he hunched over, shuffling apart from the rest of the army. His hands were constantly clenching and unclenching, his entire body tensed as if expecting some kind of attack.

"Mark!" Eliwood exclaimed, rushing over to his side. "What happened to you?''

Mark stared at him uncomprehendingly for a second before shaking his head rapidly, looking like he was trying to keep himself awake. "Nothing, Eliwood. I'm fine."

"Fine?" Eliwood asked dubiously, staring at Mark's green cloak. He could almost imagine how thin Mark must be considering what poor shape he kept himself in. "Call off the army for the night, Mark. We can spare a night to rest."

"No," Mark disagreed, his voice shaky. Eliwood stepped closer, afraid that the tactician was about to faint. He steadied himself though and glared at the lord who thought him so weak as to need assistance. "We must continue on; every second matters now."

"If we continue on, you and many others are going to collapse eventually. Perhaps you can fool yourself into thinking that you are alright, but can you deny the state of others?" Eliwood questioned softly, watching Mark's faltering steps in concern.

Mark glanced slowly around the army, taking in the sight of his soldiers, many of them appearing almost as tired as him. "But-"

"But nothing," Eliwood said soothingly, moving to touch Mark's arm softly. "I know why you are pushing us Mark, but we can not continue on like this any further. Even people with the hopes of the future pinned upon them need rest."

"…" Mark sighed, his face twisted in anger. "We are running on borrowed time at best, and not that much of it. Stopping, even for the night, seems like such a waste; we could be advancing, taking Nergal by surprise if we moved in the cover of darkness. Wasted opportunities such as these can not be excused."

"Your acting as if we are inhuman, Mark," Eliwood chided. "We are still human beings, and as such, we need the occasional rest. I am not asking you for a week long break or anything like that; just the night, and then we can continue onwards."

"…Fine," Mark surrendered with a tired sigh. Eliwood smiled brightly at the tactician, happy that he had got his way. "Tell the rest of the army that we are halting here for the night, Eliwood. At dawn break though, we continue our march."

"Thank you, Mark," Eliwood murmured quietly, and the tactician gave a minute nod before moving to stand with Hector, who looked happy to have a companion once more. Eliwood's heart clenched; maybe he should have focused more on Hector than on Lloyd. After all, he had made barely any headway with Lloyd and Hector had seemed happy just being able to talk with someone.

Eliwood forced his feelings away; it would not do him well to linger on regrets. He would just have to make it up to Hector later.

"Everyone!" Eliwood shouted, and those who heard him turned towards him, shaking their more tired companions awake. "We are going to be stopping here for the night. Please-" A great cheer interrupted him, and Eliwood watched in amusement as the army hurriedly set up their tents and rushed to get to sleep.

"How amusing," Lloyd commented nonchalantly as he moved to stand beside him. "That your army can move so fast when it wants something."

"You have seen nothing yet," Eliwood chuckled. "Lowen was not cooking this morning because he was sick, but he will be tomorrow; then you can see just how fast this army can move for a reward."

Lloyd smirked and shifted uncomfortably, gold eyes darting away from Eliwood. Those sharp eyes caught something behind the lord, and Lloyd turned back to Eliwood with a small smile. "Are we still rooming together?"

"As if I would let you sleep with anyone else!" Eliwood exclaimed, placing his hand on a cocked hip. "You know just as well as I do that I am the only one you can sleep with in this army."

"Of course," Lloyd chuckled, shaking his head. "How could I forget?"

"I do not know, but maybe it has something to do with those memory problems of yours," Eliwood teased, and jumped as Lloyd wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Lloyd?'

"Come on; our tent still needs to be put up, and it's not going to do it itself," Lloyd said, shifting when Eliwood glanced at him.

"Well of course not," Eliwood replied before smiling. "I suppose your right; we really should begin soon. I do want to take advantage of this rest time I won for us."

"Won?" Lloyd asked, one eyebrow raised in question.

"I will tell you later," Eliwood said, and the two walked off together, Eliwood never noticing the shocked Hector who had been standing behind them.

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Another day, another bar. For the life of her, Isadora thought they might as well be professional drunkards they had spent so much time frequenting taverns and other places of ill repute. Not to say that taverns were intrinsically bad per se, but the ones that Legault had been wont to take them to had most certainly earned their name as 'the worst, most run down shitholes in all of Elibe.'

Isadora was not one to swear casually, but these places earned the honor of being cursed.

She didn't even know why they were here! Lord Eliwood had assigned them a mission which she still had no idea about, so she had been stuck with a mysterious, flirtatious Legault and a stoic, might-as-well-be-a-block-of-ice Rath who shot her a glare that sent shivers down her spine every time she so much as opened her mouth in his presence.

Her companions were infuriating, the bars were shitty (Legault could have at least brought them to a place with good wine, she wouldn't have complained about that), and if one more fucking man touched with her posterior or breasts once more she would be arrested for murdering every last one of the world's population of perverts that seemed to be following her every footstep.

Needless to say, when Legault announced that they were going to yet another bar, this time with the promise of it definitely being the last one (an excuse she had heard only thrice from the irritable thief), she had put her foot down. On Legault's testicles. Hard.

Part of her frustration assuaged, Isadora had not complained when Legault had dragged them (the thief limping in a way that tickled the paladin pink) to their current town's bar, leading them to a dark, dank, stereotypically thief-esque haunt of a corner in order to spy on some unsuspecting son of a bitch.

She really had to get away from Legault; his habit of swearing was starting to rub off on her, but in no way was she going to try and strike up a conversation with Rath. Her soul still quivered from the icy glare the Sacaen had sent her a few days back, back when she was still naïve enough to think that there might be something redeemable in the companions that had been forced upon her.

Now, half-drunk on some wine that would probably be the death of her and bereft of intelligent human conversation, Isadora watched glumly as Legault observed the inhabitants of the bar. At least he was a better target to watch; her eyes would probably fall out before she caught Rath doing something ridiculous as blink or inhale or, god forbid, speak like a normal human being.

The lavender-haired man's head was tilted slightly to the side, as if he was listening for something, and his violet eyes were scanning the crowed intently. She did not know what he was searching for, but she intended to find out.

Pulling her drink towards her, Isadora discreetly unbuckled one of her silver-plated bracers. Rath cracked open an eye at the movement before dismissing her, falling back into his popsicle-like state she knew him best for.

Her armor had attracted quite a bit of attention lately, both because of its make and because of how she looked in it, but it did have its uses. Lady Eleanora had gifted it to her and it had saved her life many a time, but its true value lay in the secrets it held. Hidden compartments large enough to hide a small knife, extremely durable plaiting, discreetly concealed pockets; she had been able to distinguish herself as a knight of Pherae thanks to the Marchioness' generous patronage.

Isadora smiled slightly; one of those tricks was about to make itself very useful. From a thin case hidden in her bracer, she quietly took out a piece of polished silver small enough to fit in her hand, making sure no one had seen what she had done.

Legault had been staring predominantly at the bar, which had a dirty, second-hand mirror hung behind it. Though it would be difficult, if she angled her improvised mirror just right, she might be able to watch Legault more discreetly. Legault would not tell her or Rath what exactly they were waiting for in these bars they frequented, but the thief would not be able to hide his instinctive reactions when he found what he was searching for. By listening to the surrounding conversations as well and watching Legault without him knowing it, she would be able to pinpoint when he heard what he was waiting for and hopefully eavesdrop on this ever so important conversation.

Perfect.

Rath watched quietly as Isadora cackled drunkenly to herself as she toyed with a small mirror, which she was apparently trying (and failing) to hide behind her hand.

He snorted.

Crazy bitch.

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Serra quietly trailed through the army's camp the next morning, her sharp eyes examining her companions with an inquisitive gaze. Her proficiency with stealth was a well-kept secret of hers, and one that she guarded jealously; before the abbey had accepted her, it had been her way of life. Even now, people were so used to her loud voice and fluorescent pigtails, that a quiet Serra with her hair down did not even leave a blip on their radar.

The notion might have hurt if she had not been used to being ignored.

Serra hated being ignored – it was why she acted so obnoxious all the time, butting her way into people's business and being a gossip hound. Not to say that she didn't like gossip, because their little army was such a wonderful little stage for all sorts of drama, but her life did not revolve around it as many people thought.

No, she hated being ignored for a different reason. Her violet eyes watched as Dorcas patiently withstood another tirade from Barte, the small smile on the serious fighter's face missed by all but her. She hated being ignored because when you were ignored, people forgot you.

And she would not be forgotten.

She refused to be forgotten again.

The cleric shivered slightly as dark memories of a lonely childhood sprung up from her subconscious, taunting her with her deepest fears. It was always like this – a single memory, a single thought, and she was right there back at the abbey being told that mommy and daddy weren't ever coming back for her.

She shook her head, continuing her perusal. On her left, Matthew was tugging Guy's braid, over near Lowen who was gazing infatuatedly at Rebecca who, for some reason, could not take her eyes off Dart. The pirate was currently trying to fend off the Pegasus knight the army had recently employed (and like many others in the army, she felt her ire flare at her lord – really Lord Hector, twenty-thousand gold for a single mercenary?), who was babbling something about money and wages that left the unsettling notion that she was a woman of ill repute.

Serra smiled slightly, glancing to her right. Lord Eliwood was standing next to Lady Lyndis, apparently engrossed in a conversation with her. That did not stop him from being a cynosure for three others, and Serra watched as Marcus, Lord Hector, and the old-newest member of the army all took occasional glances at him. Well, Marcus was shooting him concerned glances every once in awhile (such a faithful man – she admired him for that loyalty), but Lord Hector and the other man (Lloyd, maybe? She couldn't remember his name that well) were practically ogling Lord Eliwood, sending each other the occasional venomous glance.

A pale pink eyebrow rose. Well, well, well, that bore some looking into. Really, it was only for the group's own good; Serra would hate to see the army torn apart because Eliwood had managed to ensnare yet another man's heart.

Lost in her thoughts, Serra was surprised when Lord Eliwood suddenly shouted at her.

"Serra!" The redhead shouted, a smile on his face as he waved to her in greeting. Serra was momentarily surprised that he had recognized her, and the next moment, all the eyes of the army turned to her. There was a moment of stunned silence, and Serra gave a very un-ladylike swear under her breath; even though she didn't like being ignored, she also didn't like being the absolute center of attention – or at least not in such embarrassing situations as this.

A light form impacted her side, and Serra was startled by the sudden weight.

"Oh!" Nils gasped as he bounced back, rushing forward to steady her. "I'm so sorry, Sister Serra! I wasn't looking at where I was going, and I'm so sorry I bumped into you!"

Indignation rose up in her; Nils was dirty and sweaty from running around, and now her pristine white robes that she had cleaned just the day before (though they were already pretty dirty from the previous battle anyway) was filthy. She was the center of attention, all of the army focused on her, and she knew she could blow up right in Nils' face. She could act like the prissiest person in the world, insult and belittle him, or maybe just scream at him until he ran off; everyone would remember her for that.

"It is fine, Nils," Serra said pleasantly instead, relishing and hating the bard's wide-eyed surprised look. "Go wash up soon, okay?"

"Um, sure, Sister Serra," Nils said, off balanced by her calm reply. "Um, thank you!"

Serra watched the bard run off to his sister, and she knew that even though she had not done anything terribly out of the ordinary, everybody was still looking at her (most likely in surprise, she thought jadedly).

She was the center of attention, and she knew herself well enough to know that she felt better now than she had ever felt before screaming and shouting her way into this position.

This feeling, Serra mused as everyone went back to their occupations and preparing for the day's march, but not before sending her slight smiles (they were a bit surprised, but there might have been a hint of fondness there too. She couldn't tell for sure, lacking a definitive model to compare it to), felt something like belonging.

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"...you hear? Lady Arissa..."

"Maybe you should stop drinking so much..."

"...that bastard! If I ever..."

"...Ursula isn't too happy about..."

Legault smirked. That was what he had been waiting for.

Though it had taken him far longer that he would have liked, and had put him and his little group at a minor risk of being discovered (especially with Isadora's irritatingly eye-catching armor), going to known Black Fang haunts had finally paid off. Though it wasn't an incredibly reliable source of information, one of the more loose-lipped Fangs might let slip that Nino had been found or had returned to one of the many Black Fang hideouts. Besides, if need be, there was plenty of easily available alcohol with which he could use to ply some of the more reticent of men to sing their secrets to him.

And if someone was talking about Ursula of all people, then they were obviously more in the know than the regular old grunt. Out of all the pathetic mooks he had crossed path with in the past few days, this one seemed like the best chance for getting the info he needed.

Legault closed his eyes, mentally blocking out all the background noise that could distract him from the conversation he was listening in on.

"Really? Usually Ursula doesn't get too upset about anything - she always seems so level-headed," Two people at least then, and obviously this one was less experienced than the other. Everyone who knew Ursula for any length of time knew that in matters outside the Black Fang, she could be a cruel, vindictive, backstabbing bitch.

"Please," the first man scoffed. "Ursula's a bitch - nothing but that." Score! Legault smirked; it seemed like Random Fang No. 1 was going to be his target.

"Be quiet, idiot," the second man said nervously, and Legault could almost feel a sneer making its way onto his face. The man's oily voice was grating on his nerves, and it shook with undisguised fear. Obviously one of the newer Fangs; Brendan would never have let such a coward into their group when he was the head of the Black Fang.

Legault sighed, and continued listening. Just one more example of how Sonia had ruined his family.

"Shut the hell up, you coward," the first man snarled, his hand colliding with his table. "The bitch isn't here, and even if she was, it means nothing; she's just one woman, and you shouldn't treat her like God just because she is one of the Four Fangs. Get a pair, would ya?"

Legault chuckled; he sincerely hoped he would not have to torture Nino's whereabouts out of this man now. A member of the old guard was hard to come by these days, most of the Black Fang having fallen into the idea that anarchy was better than justice. The thief's heart clenched. Merely a few years and the Black Fang had destroyed its reputation; gone from being knights for justice into making a name for themselves as little more than cowardly thieves and assassins, even among some of the Bern common folk who had so wholeheartedly supported them.

"I'm just saying that if Ursula heard the way you were talking about her, she would tear you to pieces," the coward murmured nervously. "Especially with the way she is now." Oh? Now this was interesting; what had crawled underneath Ursula's skin?

"The bitch needs to learn to stop being so high and mighty," the first man muttered. "Acting like a fucking noble, just because someone _dared_ to do something that might _possibly_ gain Sonia's favor. The two of them, Sonia and Ursula both; they make me sick."

"You can't blame her totally," the second man said shakily, sounding like a frightened rat. "I mean, Vaida just came out of nowhere, and suddenly she is being shunted off to the side-"

"Fuck Vaida! Who gives a shit about her?" The man shouted, drawing the attention of the bar onto him. "Who cares if Sonia told her to take down that shitty little Pheraen's group and capture those kids again? Ursula needs to learn that the fucking world doesn't revolve around her!"

Dammit; not good. There was the soft sound of glass braking, and Legault glanced over to Isadora, who held the pieces of a crushed mirror in her hand. The paladin's eyes were flashing dangerously, her previously drunken state nowhere to be seen, and it was only Rath's timely intervention that stopped her from jumping to her feet and confronting the two.

"Let me go," she hissed, struggling from Rath's grip. The Sacaen remained undaunted, and he quietly held her down, a disapproving look on his face.

"Isadora, be quiet," Legault commanded, trying to keep both the furious paladin and his targets in sight.

"You heard them!" Isadora exclaimed, her voice thankfully drowned out by the conversations that had sprung up following the drunken Fang's shout. "They were talking about the army; we have to return! Lord Eliwood and the others are in danger! If we do not go and warn them, then they will be ambushed!"

Legault bit his lip in frustration. Isadora was right, and yet the perfect source of information about Nino hovered right outside his grasp. If they left now, he would have failed both Lloyd and himself, and who knows what would happen to Nino then? She could have returned to Black Fang headquarters, but there was the equally as possible chance that she was wandering lost in the wild, and he would miss the chance to rescue her if they returned to the army now. At the same time he couldn't just send Isadora and Rath back to the army without an explanation which he could not give them...

Dammit! What was wrong with him!? He was slipping up all over the place; he should have prepared backup plans, done something that would not have left him in the hard position he had been placed. He could leave and risk Nino's safety or he could try and convince his companions to stay, an impossible goal, because Isadora was looking like she wanted blood. Damn, damn, what was he supposed to do now?

The bar's door swung open with a bang, and for a brief moment, all conversations stopped and the bar's inhabitants turned to look at the group of newcomers.

A wide smile split Legault's face, and he wondered if the god Lucius had summoned a few days ago still graced him with its presence. He didn't know how it happened or why seven members of his army were standing in the doorway of one of the slummiest bars on Elibe, or even why he could see the frightfully familiar crimson hair of the Black Fang's most treasured assassin; all that mattered was the cheerful, green-haired girl that was sprinting towards him, tears in her eyes.

"Uncle Legault!" Nino cried, leaping into his outstretched arms.

Legault was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relief he felt at his 'niece's' presence before all the blood rushed from his cheeks. Over Nino's shoulder, he could see the seven members of the army (and a small corner of his mind cheered about the fact that Heath was among them) looking at Nino in an odd mix of confusion and dawning realization, but he was more concerned about the sound of weapons being drawn behind him.

Nino had just called him out by name. In a bar well known for being a Black Fang haunt. Filled with Black Fang members, all who were told to hunt down and eliminate traitors.

Like Legault.

Shit.

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Hector's whistle pierced the army's stunned silence, the group as a whole collectively staring in awe at the gargantuan Bern Keep. "That is one huge fucking castle," Hector murmured, yelping slightly when Lyn hit him upside the head. "What the hell was that for?"

"We have a child, a cleric, and a bishop right next to us," Lyn hissed, gesturing to Nils, Serra, and Lucius respectively. "Do you think you could act with a bit more respect?"

"Forget it, Lyn," Eliwood laughed. "Hector does not know the meaning of decorum."

Hector grumbled something unflattering under his breath, before turning to the rest of the army. "You can all wander about; just stay in the general area."

"We are infiltrating the infamous Bern Keep," Eliwood said in a reverential whisper as they walked towards the castle's unguarded entrance. "I have always wanted to do this."

Lyn and Hector looked at him oddly before shaking their heads, dismissing their friend's behavior.

"Doesn't it seem strange that a thief was able to enter the Bern royal palace, steal the crown jewel, and then escape unnoticed? I thought Bern was supposed to be one of the most, if not the most, militaristic nation on Elibe, and it seems like escape from this place would be difficult," Lyn asked, staring at the tall mountains that encircled the castle. "Set between all these mountains, the palace seems almost impregnable."

"Just more reason to suspect King Bern himself," Hector muttered, falling silent as the three slipped past a single, stationary guard. It seemed like Bern really did rely on its natural defenses as a ward against invaders.

"Regardless of who the thief is, I do hope this little traversing of ours is equally as successful as theirs," Eliwood murmured. "I have no desire to be captured here."

"Especially when it would give Bern all the reason it needed to invade Lycia," Hector agreed.

"This seems like an awfully risky plan," Lyn said, and Eliwood turned to her accusingly.

"It was your idea to infiltrate the palace," Eliwood pointed out.

"Hector agreed!" Lyn defended, causing the Ostian lord to stare at her in shock.

"Why are you bringing me into this?" He asked, and Lyn poked in him in the chest, smirking evilly.

"Because you emptied our coffers for a single Pegasus knight," Lyn said triumphantly, turning away from Hector as if she had just won the argument.

"Sorry," Hector apologized automatically, already conditioned by the army's abuse. "Hey, wait a second! That doesn't mean any-"

"Shhh!" Eliwood hissed, listening intently as his friends fell silent. He could of sworn he had just heard...

"Footsteps!" Lyn hissed, and Hector grabbed both of their arms, dragging them down into a conveniently placed thicket. Eliwood briefly wondered when they had stumbled into an inner garden before his attention was stolen by a positively adorable little girl running right by them.

"Aww," Lyn cooed as the girl embraced a young blond boy she called her brother. Eliwood and Hector watched the older child intently, recognizing him as Zephiel, crown prince of Bern.

They were too far away to hear the children's conversation, but that did not stop the three of them (even Hector, much to his chagrin) from squealing as Zephiel's guardian revealed an adorable fox kit and gave it to the young girl, who seemed positively delighted at the gift.

The three froze though as a loud voice rang out, startling them into silence. The two children turned to face the speaker, the young girl (Guinivere, the voice had said) with visible adoration and Zephiel with much more hesitance.

"King Bern," Hector and Eliwood hissed, and Lyn turned to them in shock. Damn, they had really gotten themselves into a tight situation.

Eliwood watched in sadness as the king fawned over his daughter, only to treat his son coldly. It reminded him of how lucky he was to have his father...to of had a father who loved him completely and who had treated him with the utmost affection. Lloyd had said that Zephiel's mother treated him as a tool and with the way his father treated him...it was not right.

"I don't like this," Lyn whispered as Guinivere ran off with her new kit. The king's eyes had flashed with such hatred that, for a moment, even Zephiel had taken a step back. His guard (Murdock, Zephiel had addressed him as) looked like he was torn between standing back respectfully and reaching for his weapon; an understandable notion for, as soon as Guinivere left, the king had advanced on his son, his entire body tense as if he was about to strike.

The three watched in horror as the king accused his son of wanting to see if his sister, who he clearly adored, had died from sickness, only to turn on Murdock when the knight had tried to defend his prince. The entire time, Zephiel stood there impassively, accepting his unjust punishment with a somber air, and they had to restrain themselves for interfering. It was a petty argument and yet the true horror was that it seemed almost...routine; for such a young child, Zephiel seemed used to his father's abuse. The king's behavior was truly despicable.

"...Why?" Lyn questioned confusedly, unable to understand how a father could treat his own son in such a way. Neither Eliwood nor Hector had an answer for her, but in response to the king who had asked the same thing after his son had left, a cold, chilling voice rang out through the garden.

"Hee hee hee. It is jealousy, my king," The trio shivered at the new voice; something seemed wrong with it, inhuman almost. They watched as a hideously beautiful woman appeared, dressed in a rather revealing fashion. Her dress, if it could even be called such, flaunted her preternaturally ivory skin, and the trio stiffened. The only ones with skin that pale were...

Eliwood bit his lip as the king and the woman (Sonia, she addressed herself as, and he realized with a start that this must of been Nino's mother that Lloyd hated so much) spoke, his worst fears confirmed. The king really had let the Fire Emblem be stolen; yet another example of the petty man's hatred for his son. Worse, Sonia had the Fire Emblem on her possession, making it nearly impossible to recover without directly confronting her.

That daunting reality was immediately wiped aside, much to their relief, only to be replaced by an equally unfortunate one; Sonia had hid the Emblem in the Black Fang's fortress.

"Can this get any worse?" Hector asked rhetorically, but no one answered him. The two were still speaking, this time about...

Eliwood felt his heart skip a beat as Lyn gasped at his side. Removing Murdock from the Zephiel's side, another mission for the Black Fang; surely even a man such as he could not be planning his own son's assassination!

The three froze in horror as Sonia stiffened, examining the courtyard with a careful eye. She had sensed them - dammit!

Guinivere's young voice called out, and the three almost collapsed with relief as Sonia left, reassured that it had only been the king's young daughter that she had sensed.

"Too close," Lyn sighed in relief, and the three gave each other shaky grins.

They watched as the young princess handed her kit over to the king before running off after her brother, Eliwood's eyes narrowing as the king ordered one of his soldiers to kill the fox kit before stalking back into the castle. Now, Eliwood could honestly say that he did not like the king; he seemed like an utter bastard and treated his son horribly, but this was unforgivable. Zephiel, for some odd reason, still seemed to love his father, and so Eliwood would not act out against the king (not to mention that it would have revealed the three and gotten them killed, but it would also most likely set off a quick, one-sided war between Pherae and Bern), but this he could stop at least.

And besides, there was that god-awful moustache and beard the king had... He was practically begging to get what was coming for him!

Hector sighed as he turned to his friend. He didn't even have to ask what his friend was planning - the redhead was already discreetly following after the soldier, who was carrying the kit off to be killed.

"Come on," Hector nudged Lyn, and she sighed as she saw what Eliwood was planning to do. Apparently, the kit's life was more important at the moment than returning to the army.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucius sighed tiredly. Unfortunately (or maybe not so unfortunately, he thought with a blush), he and Raven had been unable to get that much sleep the night before, and he was only now feeling the consequences. His back ached slightly and no matter how many times he tried to crack it, it remained infuriatingly knotted.

"Stop writhing all over the place," Ray-Raven (you would think he would be used to that by now, but he did now like calling his lover by any name but his own) snapped. Lucius turned to the redhead, only to see him reclining against a tree, his eyes closed for once - it seemed like he was just as tired.

"Forgive me, Lord Raymond," Lucius said softly, sitting beside the swordsman.

"Don't call me that," he muttered, glaring at him from the corner of an eye. The two were silent, both resting comfortably beside each other.

Lucius started though as a heavy hand landed at the nape of his neck. Turning towards Raven, he was stopped as his lover began massaging him in a way that clearly should not be possible, it was so good. The blond melted under the touch, rapidly dissolving into a puddle of Lucius-goo as the hand drifted lower, working out some of the kinks.

"Raven," Lucius whispered, uncaring of the name slip-up so long as his lover kept up the good work. The hand drew away though, and the bishop looked at the other confusedly as he jumped to his feet, holding out his hand for Lucius.

"Get up," Raven ordered, and Lucius was confused until he followed the other's sight. The bishop paled as he saw what looked to be a very intimidating wyvern rider threatening Nils.

"Shit," Raven cursed, and Lucius ignored him in favor of grabbing his shine tomb. "We won't be able to reach them in time."

"We can still-" Lucius was cut off as enemy soldiers suddenly appeared from the mountains and the fortresses behind them. Raven cursed again before grabbing Lucius' hand and pulling him to where a few others were grouping in between two of the large mountain ranges. From the corner of his eye, he could see a few others breaking off to group around a small collection of houses.

"This isn't good," Raven muttered, grinding his teeth in frustration. "We're all separated and we can't rely on Mark's orders from here."

Lucius' heart sank. "We are on our own for this one."

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Ooh, lookie there everyone; Ariaeris has an extra long chapter for you all. And it is only going to get longer! There is the first, brand spankin' new omake after this!

A few notes before that though; next chapter is obviously going to take place in the actual fighting part of Chapter 26, so I would like to remind you all that I am not a battle scene writer. Nor am I a good tactician; so no criticism about my crappy strategies, okay? Also, we get to see the after-effects of Eliwood's decision to go fox saving, which changes the entire flow of Chapter 26's battle.

Second of all, I would like to hear some feedback about the characters and relationships presented here. How was Isadora and the Bern family? And how about Sonia? Did you like the way Raven and Lucius were written together? Did you all like my take on Serra? I need to know if I am getting the characterizations right, or at least if I am making them believable/interesting.

One more thing before the omake - everyone, go to my profile. Open up a tab if need be so you can read the next instruction. Go down to the bottom of the page, stopping to read some of the witty comments I've chronicled over the past two years. Once there, go to my favorite stories. See that Zelgius/Ike fic by Sol Hiryu? The really long one?

_Read it. _You will not regret it. It is glorious, and wonderful, and all sorts of sexy. Honestly, it is one of the better Fire Emblem fics I have ever read, and it will make a Zelgius/Ike shipper out of anyone. Check it out, okay?

That's really all; I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you all next time!

Ariaeris~

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This omake can be taken as canon-compliant (but really shouldn't be) and it is dedicated to all the people who wanted some Rath/Wil - a.k.a. seemingly all of you.

Enjoy~

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Rath was not a stalker.

Really, he wasn't. Nor was he a pervert, voyeuristic, or any other term that could possibly be linked to him being a stalker.

Which he wasn't - he was merely...protective of what he saw as his.

His bow (which you didn't touch unless you wanted to wake up with a horse's head in your bed). His horse (which you didn't touch unless you wanted to wake up with an arrow's head in your bed).

His Wil.

Which you just weren't allowed to touch at all.

Unfortunately for both Wil and his free time though, Wil had to be absolutely adorable (much like little blonde girls and their baby fox kits). Which meant, logically, that people wanted to hug him.

Which was a _bad thing _in Rath's mind. _A very bad thing_.

And so, Rath had come to the conclusion one day, right in the middle of stalking Wil, that he was not stalking him per se; merely protecting him from the countless perverts in the army (a grand total of none, at least when it came to Wil. No one wanted a repeat of Dedaed. Oh, you've never heard of Dedaed? Case closed).

The revelation was a great ease on his consciousness.

So when Legault moseyed on over in Wil's vicinity one day, Rath was instantly on high alert. From what he had heard of Heath's overdramatic belly-aching, Legault was a complete and utter pervert who was too pretty for his own good (an admission that had the poor wyvern knight blushing to high heaven).

Legault was one of those _bad things _in Rath's mind.

The Sacaen could almost see the dirty thoughts running through the thief's mind as he walked closer to the archer. Even though they had not spotted each other yet and had not even been formally introduced and Legault was undoubtedly lusting after Heath's ass alone, Rath was absolutely certain that the lavender-haired thief was going to try and accost _his _Wil.

Which was why he didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt when he shot an arrow at the thief's head. He _did _feel a bit guilty that Wil had bent over at the exact wrong time, distracting him enough for his shot to be just the slightest bit off.

His guilt only rose as Wil blamed himself for the misfired arrow, which didn't really make sense, but Wil was cute enough for the plot hole to be ignored.

When Wil called him over though, Rath was more than happy to show just who Wil belonged to. Glaring imperiously at Legault, he could almost see the thief quivering in his boots.

He felt like he should slap Wil's ass or bite his neck or something, but he pushed away the odd impulses in favor of nodding once when the thief had told him that Eliwood needed him.

Walking off with Legault, Rath sent Wil a silent 'I love you,' hoping that whatever Eliwood needed could be completed quickly.

He needed to go back to protecting _his _Wil after all.

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Here's a puppy. It's a very cute puppy. Cute enough for you to ignore the plot hole of Wil taking the blame for shooting an arrow when he was bending over.

Isn't he precious? Yes he is, yes he is!

...Oh, Rath was staring at Wil's ass! Isn't that a good enough reason to ignore the gaping plot hole?

You all should just be happy that I even wrote you something, you rabid Rath/Wil fans...


	7. Chapter the Seventh

Fighting, fighting, everywhere. Enjoy the fluffy moments in the first portion of this chapter; they're pretty much the only ones to be found here.

With that warning in mind (and please forgive me Sol; I combined a philosophical moment with a fighting scene, which I know will probably not go over well with you, but it needed to be done!), please do not eviscerate me for the horrible, horrible fighting scenes this chapter. I tried my best, but...they are my firsts after all.

Grant me mercy?

In any case, I'm glad to see that many of you liked the first omake. Then again, it was Rath/Wil focused, so I'm fairly sure you all were just happy to slake your lust over your favorite Sacaen/Pheraen pair of archers. Rabid fans...

Still, the good reception to the omake has convinced me to continue writing them, which is always fun, because they seem to be coming out delightfully cracky and completely off-canon. It's good to see that I am still able to write fluff, especially after writing so much horrible angst recently. Like last chapter, the omake will be placed after the ending author notes and will be clearly labeled if it is canon-compliant or not.

I have nothing more to say except enjoy the chapter as much as possible, which might be harder than normal, considering I have not one but two battles happening at the same time. Not good.

(Hopefully) Enjoy~

Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe (though there are hints of its continued existence), Swearing (they're still in a bar, but there is less of it. Not enough time to curse, you know, when your massacring members of the Black Fang), **Violence**, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Rath/Wil, potential Matthew/Guy, potential Kent/Fiora, potential Sain/Priscilla, potential Jaffar/Nino, Others to be determined.

* * *

_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 7: Did you just Steal an Über-Spear?_

_It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered._

_- Aeschylus_

* * *

"You are cute, and you are fluffy, and you are _my _Fluffy," Eliwood cooed, petting the baby kit gently, delighting in its little yips of affection. Behind him, a pale and horrified Lyn and Hector stumbled along, still wondering how their peace-loving friend could be so violent.

"I can't believe he…" Hector shuddered violently, unable to go on.

"And with a sword," Lyn agreed. "But then with the…"

"I couldn't believe that either," Hector whispered, hoping that he did not draw his oldest friend's ire ever again. He did not have a death wish after all. "The worst part is that the poor guy was still alive after it all."

"Somehow," Lyn whimpered, rubbing her closed eyes. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough, she would be able to remove the horrific memories from her brain.

"Come on," Eliwood complained, apparently having skipped his way to the castle's exit way already. "You two are moving too slow! Do I have to come back there?"

"No!" The two shouted, sprinting to Eliwood's side. The Pheraen lord blinked at his friends' odd behavior.

"Are you two alright?" Eliwood asked, tilting his head to the side. The kit, which had apparently chosen the lord's head as a perch, cocked its cute little head as well.

"Yeah, just fine, Eliwood," Hector said, chuckling nervously. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"You guys are acting weird," Eliwood muttered, bouncing up and down so that the fox kit would be amused.

"Yep, that's us," Lyn said cheerfully, her forced smile fooling nobody. "Now, let's get out of here before someone spots us."

"Or that poor bastard," Hector whispered, wincing at even the thought of the unfortunate guard who had been ordered to kill Eliwood's new kit.

Unfortunately, he did not whisper soft enough, and the two found themselves skittering away from Eliwood once more as he started laughing malevolently.

"Eliwood, that's…" Lyn trailed off, unable to comprehend the scene in front of her.

"Lyn what's – Shit!" Hector swore, quickly grabbing his axe. When had they been ambushed?

"Hector, don't!" Eliwood ordered, but it was too late. The lord was already rushing off, killing a wyvern rider who got to his way, trying to make his way towards Pent and Louise. The two, along with Mark, were surrounded by wyvern riders and spellcasters and, though they were doing an admirable job at holding them off, they were clearly breaking under the assault.

"Come on!" Lyn shouted, running towards them as well, already drawing her sword in anticipation of a battle.

"Dammit," Eliwood swore. They two had already lost their cool, entering into battle without a second thought. How they hadn't been killed already was beyond him, but Eliwood moved to aid them as well.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" a cruel voice shouted over the din of the battle, and Eliwood barely managed to dodge as a spear embedded itself right in front of him. Both he and the fox kit yelped at the sudden attack; what was with people and throwing spears at him!

"What?" Eliwood turned, paling rapidly as a positively gigantic wyvern flew over him, its rider retrieving her spear. Something was…off about her, something that sent chills down his spine and his instincts blaring; everything was screaming at him not to face her in battle. The blonde woman smirked gleefully and Eliwood, in a fit of self-preservation, rushed back towards the halls of Bern Keep, clutching the frightened kit to his chest.

Unfortunately, right as he approached them, the thick doors that had been so invitingly open not even an hour before swung close with an ominous slam. Eliwood swore again; they had been tricked?

"It's just you and me," the rider smirked, circling around for her next attack. "Let's see how strong you truly are!"

Eliwood backed up against the doors blocking his escape, drawing his light brand. Just because he was backed into a corner did not mean he was going down without a fight. The fortress would provide a measure of defense – the rider would have to move slower to make sure she would not smash into the castle by accident, and that would give him some time to avoid her strikes.

It was the only defense he had now. He could only hope that it would be enough for him to stall until he received reinforcements.

* * *

Legault ducked under a random drunkard's sword, shoving him aside and into a wall. A quickly thrown knife between the eyes ended the man's life. The lavender-haired thief, not stopping for a second, drew a second knife and stabbed another man in the gut, withdrawing it only to stab him in the eye the next instant.

"So, how did you manage to get here?" Legault asked Heath, who was fending off his own attackers. "I didn't think I'd see any of you way out here in the slums."

"Eliwood sent us out to find you," Heath answered, ducking under a sword aimed for his head and whirling around to stab his lance into the random Fang. "Said you were going to be attacked; seems he was right. I'm just glad Nino wanted us to stop here for the night."

Attacked? Why would... Legault groaned as he sidestepped yet another attack, kicking his assaulter in the face. Well, he felt like a class A idiot; he had left the army without telling Eliwood that Lloyd had regained consciousness and, just like he had feared, the blond swordmaster had probably run his mouth off to the wrong person. Also known as Eliwood and dammit, he really should have at least taken a second to warn the lord before leaving.

A hand axe buzzed by his head, almost cutting a lock of his precious hair off. Another thrown dagger took care of the problem.

How could he though? Just come outright and tell Eliwood right in front of Rath and Lyn that Lloyd had been awake while they were in his tent? That would have gone over well. And he couldn't have told Eliwood before then either; the whole point of Eliwood not knowing that Lloyd had been conscious was so that Lloyd could observe Eliwood and see what an actual just lord looked like, hopefully opening up the swordmaster's eyes to the world around him.

Lloyd had let himself become absorbed within the Fang. He had looked to the righteous goal they had all reached for, a world without corrupt nobles, but he had gone too far in his quest to achieve that dream. As had many others, Lloyd had reached the point where the line between corrupt nobles and nobles blurred and the dream they had longed for was poisoned by cold reality.

A ball of fire incinerated a man who had snuck up behind him, and Legault nodded distractedly towards a shaking Nino. Only later would he realize that that had been her first kill.

The Black Fang was over. The dream they had sought after had become tainted, destroyed by the work of Sonia and her master. Everything that had worked for, their good reputation, the support of the people of their homeland, was gone, stolen from them by a scheming witch and their own inability to change. If they had only fought harder, rebelled against the sickly sweet words that Sonia whispered in their Commander's ear, then maybe...

Lightning struck two men down, Erk defending Priscilla with a blazing intent. Beside the mage, Sain and Kent fought off some brigands as best they could, not used to fighting without their steeds.

It was useless though, all useless. The Fang was merely in its death throes. Even if Nergal did succeed, what use would he have for them; what use was a group of assassins in a destroyed world? And he couldn't do anything about it!

Heath's short spear whistled over his head, impaling a man to one of the bar's walls through his shoulder, Isadora moving swiftly to silence his pained screams eternally. "Focus, Legault!" The paladin shouted, handing him a vulnerary for a wound he did not even realize he had gotten.

All he could do now was rescue his old companions, his family, from the burning wreckage of their dreams. Nino...his beloved 'niece,' no matter how much he hated the title of uncle she had given him. She was here, fighting beside him, potentially ruining her childhood innocence, but she was here. He could save her.

And Lloyd...he was almost beyond his reach. The blond had devoted himself to the Fang too much for him to save. Others could though; the swordmaster needed to have his eyes opened to the world, and that was where Eliwood came in. Eliwood, the exactly imperfect existence, the man who defied the new Fang's understanding of the world. A just noble; two synonymous terms that formed an oxymoron in the Fang's eyes. It was his hope that the lord's existence, so impossible by the terms of the Fang, would shake Lloyd's understanding of the world enough for him...

Legault skipped over an arrow-riddled corpse, driving his bloody knife into a man's temple and pinning it to one of the undisturbed tables.

He had given Lloyd all the incentives he could; he had presented him Eliwood, promised him Nino, and even now he planned to ease the blonde's transition into the world. He had failed so many times; Uhai had died, Brendan was beyond saving (the man would never abandon his beloved family, even in its last dying breaths; even if it cost him his life), and even though he had taken steps to warn Jan and Linus of the Fang's inevitable fate, he did not know how much good he could do with those two.

A myrmidon's blade danced over his throat, leaving a thin red line in its wake. Legault retaliated, disarming the man in one movement and stabbing him in the heart the next.

He had done all he could; it was up to Lloyd now if he wanted to move forward into the future or die with the Black Fang.

Red hair flashed in the corner of his eye, and for a brief moment Legault's heart clenched in horrifying fear. Cold, heartless eyes met his own, and for only the second time in his life, his breath was stolen by a frigid glare.

The next second, Jaffar disappeared in a blur, only to reappear beside Nino in time to protect her from a mercenary. Legault took a step forward, determined to remove the assassin from his niece's side, no matter how foolish such as action would be. A heavy hand stopped him though, and only Heath's low voice prevented him from attacking the man.

"Leave them," Heath ordered. "I've been watching them; Jasper has done nothing but protect Nino the entire time. They'll be fine. Just focus for right now. We're almost done routing these Fangs; you can talk to them later."

Although he was a little confused (Jasper? Surely he couldn't be talking about Jaffar?), Legault nodded, moving to stand beside Heath.

"Come on; let's finish this," Legault smirked, tossing his hair arrogantly. He was done thinking about the unknown future. For now, he would merely act and hope that he had done enough to save his family.

* * *

"Dammit!" Hector cursed, using his axe to deflect one of the seemingly innumerable wyvern riders' lances. Already he was bleeding from the onslaught of riders, his armor singed from where a sage had gotten in a lucky shot with an elfire spell. Beside him, Lyn was darting between foes, her speed allowing her to strike glancing blows against the riders while still being able to dodge their counterattacks.

Unfortunately, Lord Pent and Lady Louise were not faring half so well; the lord's elfire tomb had been destroyed in the midst of fighting not only numerous spellcasters but also two brigands who had managed to sneak up on the married couple's unprotected flank. Thankfully, Pent's still had his physic staff and was making great use of it; Lyn's life had already been spared once thanks to the silver-haired sage's support. Louise had taken up her husband's role as the main attacker, her skill with a bow proving true; around her, the corpses of her attackers lay, littered with silver arrows.

Both were tiring though, and Hector could say the same for himself as well. He didn't even know how the rest of the army was faring or even where Eliwood had gone off to, but the sight of Pent repeatedly praying in the direction of Bern Keep was not doing anything to ease his fears. A constant stream of bright lights were flashing over towards the castle and, in between slicing through a shaman who had tried to take him by surprise, Hector added his own prayers to the current of holy magic.

It was all he could do at the moment; he just prayed the Eliwood would stay alive until he could save him.

* * *

Matthew laughed as he ducked underneath a myrmidon's blade, dancing away from the deadly swordsman's attacks. He knew training with Guy would come in handy someday.

"Stayin' alive?" The thief asked casually as he stopped by his own myrmidon's side, not passing up the change to teasingly tug Guy's long braid. The Sacaen squawked as he was dragged back, an enemy nomad's arrow whistling through his head's previous location. Guy glared at the brunette, torn between thanking him for saving his life and verbally emasculating him for once again touching his hair, but Matthew merely gave him a flirtatious wink before dancing off once more.

"The nerve of him," Guy groused, carelessly beheading a brigand who had swiped at him clumsily. Marcus, defending a fort they had managed to capture, glanced at him amusedly as his lance gored the same nomad that attacked the swordsman.

"Ah, young love," Marcus said teasingly, galloping away to defend Canas, who had managed to get himself surrounded by even more brigands.

Guy's embarrassed exclamations, coupled with the dying shrieks of the victims of his deadly blade, accompanied him.

* * *

"Well, this isn't ideal," Mark said monotonously as he observed Lloyd fighting a ways off, watching the swordmaster cut through wyvern rider after wyvern rider. Raven, as pessimistic as ever, glared at him venomously, but Mark brushed off the avenger's fairly good imitation at being intimidating. Unfortunately for the redhead's badass loner reputation, carrying an effeminate blonde bishop who just so happened to be your not-so-secret lover on your back did not lend itself towards being intimidating.

"It could be worse," Lucius replied, casting a lightning spell at a random brigand. Much like its predecessors, it died an ignominious and anonymous death.

"Oh?" Raven grunted, shifting Lucius so that he could carry him better. For looking so thin, Lucius was heavy! "And how is that?"

"...I could have lost my leg instead of breaking it?" Lucius offered, smiling sheepishly. The hero snarled slightly, bouncing the bishop harshly. "Ow!"

"Be quiet," Raven ordered, Mark's snickering getting on his nerves. "And what is your problem, Tactician?"

"Oh, nothing," Mark said airily, whipping out his crappy romance novel. Lucius and Raven stared incredulously at the green-cloaked man. "What?"

"Why are you reading, of all things, at a time like this?" Raven asked, wincing as he saw Hawkeye get hit with a positively vicious looking elfire. As always though, the berserker brushed off the magical attack, hurling his hand axe straight through the enemy mage's head. Lucius yelped from behind him, shocked at the berserker's show of strength; privately, Raven agreed that it was fairly impressive.

"Why, to see what happens next, of course!" Mark answered, staring at him as if he was foolish for even asking. Deciding that the tactician was absolutely insane and should not even be allowed anywhere near normal human contact, let alone lead a ragtag bunch of admittedly slightly-unhinged freedom fighters, Raven left Mark to the tender mercies of the Black Fang, transporting Lucius to Hawkeye's side so that the bishop could heal him.

"I didn't order you to do that," Mark said, making Raven jump (not that he'd ever admit it though). The tactician stared at the redhead from right beside him, and Raven felt his eye twitch at the brunette's impassive stare. How had Mark remained right at his side? Actually, when had the tactician even first appeared?

"Whatever," Raven muttered in his typical dismissive fashion, shrugging off the tactician's more-odd-than-usual behavior. Maybe Mark had finally snapped?

Mark watched as Raven hefted Lucius onto his back once more, slightly amused as the bishop ordered his lover to charge at the top of his lungs, frightening a few random Fangs in the general vicinity. He shared a look with Hawkeye, the two silently agreeing that their companions were certifiably insane.

* * *

Farina cheered as she spotted a village resting at the base of the mountain range she was flying over. She had managed to remain outside the main battle field, which was perfectly fine with her. She had already received her down payment thanks to Lord Hector, so all she had to do was sit back and relax throughout the rest of the army's campaigns.

Still, she could not resist the allure of wealth. Villages in danger meant rewards for their saviors, and who knows how much gold she could drudge up from her thankful victims? She could almost smell the gold she was about to rake in.

Swooping down on her Pegasus, she was surprised to see the area around the village mostly unoccupied. She had expected that there would be at least a few enemies using it as a base...

Farina shrugged; it just made the plundering all the easier for her.

"Hey! Is anyone here?" Farina shouted as she walked through the village's gate, hoping that an unofficial leader would rush out to greet her. Maybe a magistrate? Did Bern even have magistrates?

"Oh, my. It's you..." A voice from behind her said, breaking her out of her musings. Farina spun around, watching the purple-haired stranger warily. When had she snuck up on her?

"Me?" Farina asked cautiously, reaching for a dagger she always kept on hand.

"That's right," the woman said, before nodding her head towards the conflict outside. "You're with them, right?" Farina's silence was more than enough of an answer for her, and she continued speaking. "I know this isn't what I'm supposed to do but... I'll not hand glory over to that newcomer, Vaida..."

Farina watched in confusion as the odd stranger seemed to mumble more to herself than anyone else. The purple-haired woman shook herself out of her musings though, giving the Pegasus knight a winning smile.

"What? Oh, nothing... I'm talking to myself. More importantly, I wanted to give you this," the woman said, drawing a long staff from behind her. She held it out and Farina watched her cautiously, wary of being tricked. "It's a hammerne staff. It repairs items. It can make most items like new again."

Farina accepted the offered staff, holding it clumsily. The stranger smirked, looking pleased with the Pegasus knight's decision. "Promise me you'll bring that wyvern-riding hag down," the woman ordered. Farina nodded, still uncertain what the other's agenda was; why would she just give her an obviously valuable staff? Surely she couldn't be so petty as to expect her to go off and kill someone in payment...

It was too late to ask the stranger any questions though, as she had already sauntered off further into the village. From the corner of her eye, Farina spotted two enemy wyvern riders approaching, so she ran back to her Pegasus.

"I'll be seeing you again, I'm sure," the woman said, her high-pitched laughing the last thing Farina heard before she met the other riders in battle.

* * *

Eliwood coughed painfully, his throat sore from his almost constant screaming. His instincts had been damnably correct; the female wyvern rider had been unnaturally strong, every thrust of her spear piercing him with far too much force to be normal, pushing him to the brink of death with every strike. Though he had been able to dodge her first two strikes, a flash of light had wrenched his attention away, causing her lance to pierce through his stomach, impaling him to the great doors of the Bern fortress.

It had not even been a moment after she had wrenched her spear painfully out of him, the motion causing him to fall to the ground in a bloody heap, that he felt the by now familiar feeling of healing magic flow through him. Even as he stood, vital organs had repaired themselves, blood being conjured and filling his torn apart veins after they had been sown back together.

Three seconds later, he had had to throw himself to the side, away from both the deadly lance that had almost stabbed him right through the head and the relative safety of the keep. No matter how skilled his mysterious healer might be, Eliwood doubted he would be able to save him after that.

Now though, he was trapped in a constant hell, every second ticking by with agonizing slowness. He was caught between the woman's lance piercing him, shredding his flesh and tearing muscle and bone apart, and feeling his aching body rise once more, healed by magic he was quickly growing to hate. His light brand had broken long ago, as useless as it was; he had barely been able to scrape her, whatever pain he might have inflicted only causing her to attack him more viciously.

Even as he forced his weary body to move, trying to keep his head away from the deadly lance while at the same time clutching the petrified fox kit to his chest, Eliwood could see out of the corner of his eye a ring of other wyvern knights that had closed around him and his assaulter. They might have been laughing at him, at how weak he was and how he was unable to defend himself, unable to fight back, but Eliwood could not tell; the constant pulsing beat of blood in his ears, coupled with his harsh rasping breaths, drowned out all other sounds.

The next strike glanced off his shoulder, and Eliwood barely managed to clutch the kit to his chest with his other arm as his right arm fell limp. He didn't recognize the pain anymore, already his senses dulled by the unceasing agony. Blood and bile rose in his throat, his injuries that had been untreatable by his savior's magic multiplying with each strike. Soon, the magic wouldn't be enough, and then...

His leg this time. Tendons and frail flesh snapped, and Eliwood fell on his side, almost crushing the animal underneath him. His breath was coming harsher now, adrenaline slowing, and his mind was growing hazy. Even as he tried to force himself to his feet to resume his defensive stance, even as the last of his pride slipped away and he began dragging himself along the ground in the hopes that he could somehow escape, even as he heard the whooshing sound of wings flapping, coupled with unhinged laughter nearly drowning out the frightened whimpers of the fox clutched to his chest, Eliwood clung to his last hope that somehow, a miracle would occur, and that he would be saved.

And then, with a bright flash that Eliwood took to be his fading consciousness, the magic that had been healing his near-dead body stopped.

* * *

"Sorry, Huey," Florina apologized, petting her faithful Pegasus' head fondly. "I seem to be putting us both in dangerous situations recently; stay safe after this, okay?"

The Pegasus whinnied slightly and, though it made no sense to Lucius, Florina chuckled fondly. "I'll try my best to do the same, I promise."

"Florina?" Lucius whimpered, his arms locked in a death grip around the orchid-haired girl's waist. The ferocious wind whipping past them was blowing both their hair in wild tangles, and the bishop had to spit out a clump of orchid hair before speaking. The girl didn't respond, and Lucius shouted her name this time. The young girl started, turning around to face the man, her face red both from not hearing the other and from being so close to a man.

"I'm s-sorry," Florina stuttered a bit, before sitting up straight, calming herself visibly. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"I don't know how to fly a Pegasus," Lucius shouted over the wind, and the Pegasus knight shrugged.

"This was not my idea," Florina replied, and Lucius cursed Mark mentally. The mysterious tactician had appeared in front of him and Ray- Raven once more a short while after they had separated, dragging along Florina behind him. How the tactician had managed to drag a Pegasus knight still in flight still befuddled him, but he did not get the chance to think on the subject long before Raven was hoisting him up on Florina's Pegasus, shooting him a slightly apologetic glance as he winced at the pain in his broken leg.

"Huey will be in control," Florina instructed, even as she released the harnesses around her legs that kept her attached to Huey's straddle. Lucius made a move to stop her, but the knight moved quickly, strapping the harnesses around his own legs efficiently. She gave him a sympathetic glance as well at his painful cringe, but Lucius knew the throbbing pain in his leg would be better that splattering on the ground from an accidental fall. "He will keep you safe; all you need to focus on is the enemy and casting spells. Huey will protect you and lead you to your targets. Do you understand?" Lucius nodded, a little dazed as the Pegasus finally cleared the large mountain and began soaring over a small group in the middle of a skirmish. The blonde thought for a moment that he could see Lady Lyndis before they moved on in the blink of an eye.

"What about you?" Lucius asked, trembling in fear. They were quickly approaching a group of wyvern riders, and he could almost hear the sound of their jeers and laughter. Just like Mark had said, they were all in a ring around something. "What are you going to do?"

Florina smiled grimly, an odd look on her young face that did not compliment the slightly green tinge it had adopted, and Lucius was reminded of the solemn look that the Pegasus knight had ever since Mark had whispered something in her ear. The bishop gulped, his nerves doubling from the girl's own nervousness.

"Lucius," Florina said quietly, the wind stealing her words away almost as soon as Lucius heard them. The blonde's hands begin to glow with holy magic, a reaction that had become automatic at the sight of hostile enemies, and he tensed as he began to cast his first spell. "Pray for me."

His magic cast, the ring of wyvern riders fell as one of their number succumbed to his deadly spell, the Pegasus shooting through the newly made gap. The blonde had a mere second to look at his companion quizzically before she had grabbed her lance and had stood up. Lucius shouted almost instinctively as Florina took a step forward, and the next moment she had jumped from her Pegasus' head, disappearing form view.

The blonde's heart stopped, and his second spell almost missed its target before Huey veered to the side to dodge a thrown javelin. His blue eyes widened in awe as Florina landed shakily on one of the largest wyvern's he had ever seen, her legs snapping in a way that, even without hearing it, had Lucius wincing in sympathetic pain. The wyvern's blonde rider turned to face her new quarry in shock as he released his third spell, and by the time the light had faded from the bishop's eyes, the blonde had Florina's spear through her stomach and a fist rapidly flying towards her face.

Even he, atop a Pegasus doing dizzying dodges in the air and barking out life-ending light magic, could hear the crunch of the blonde's face shattering from the weight of Florina's blow. From the looks of his startled enemies, they were just as shocked by the diminutive Pegasus knight's actions as he was. Lucius was a pragmatist though, even in combat, and he did not hesitate to strike down the remaining wyvern knights, defenseless as they were in shock.

Lucius sighed gustily as the final rider fell, the exhalation drowned out by a crashing sound mixed with a pained roar. The blonde whipped around, startled until he saw the sprawled form of the blonde's wyvern on the ground. The beast regained its bearings with a startling speed, and the next second Florina was flying though the air to impact the ground harshly near the woman's spear as the blonde kicked her off her wyvern.

The woman, face bloodied and twisted with a feral sneer, reached for a javelin with her right hand and an elixir with her left. She took a quick swig of the elixir before readying her javelin, aiming at Florina's unconscious form.

Lucius moved without thinking, throwing his hands out with a wordless shout. From the heavens came a bolt of light, striking the blonde woman down and severing her entire arm from her body. She shrieked in overwhelming pain, the sound renting through the battlefield like none other, causing everyone to pause in fear.

The short haired blonde's murderous gaze met his own, and Lucius froze at the sheer killing intent that blazed in those crazed eyes. The bishop didn't even react as Huey coasted down to the ground and the injured wyvern took flight, his own terrified eyes still locked with the frightening woman's. It was not until Huey whinnied and shook himself that Lucius realized the wyvern rider was a mere speck in the sky.

"Huey, wha-!" Lucius asked, wondering where the Pegasus had stopped, before the overpowering scent of copper flooded his senses, causing him to choke at the onslaught. After all the fighting he had been through, Lucius easily recognized the scent of blood, but never this powerful.

Huey shifted, and Lucius stiffened as the Pegasus's hooves made a slight splashing sound. In growing horror, Lucius slowly looked down, whimpering at the sight of bloodied flesh. A corpse; even in the middle of a war, Lucius had never enjoyed looking at the victims of their struggles. It brought the reality of their situation down far too harshly on him, and Lucius was not quite ready to think of the grand scale of all the slaughtering they had committed, be it for a good cause or not.

"Huey, why would you bring me here? We have to help Florina!" Lucius exclaimed, trying to urge to Pegasus on. Huey whinnied once more, trying to tell the bishop something. The blonde was confused until the Pegasus huffed and nudged the corpse with its head.

Lucius screamed as the figure groaned painfully, clutching his chest as it began shivering. Some of the blood it was drenched in slid off it, and Lucius watched growing horror as it began trembling on the war-torn and bloodied earth. Lucius was frozen until the figure looked up at him with its last strength, the life in its crystal blue eyes steadily leaving as it stained the ground with its lifeblood.

The realization hit his like a blow to the heart. Blue eyes, blue cape, blue boots, red, blood red, hair, _Gods, Eliwood_.

Lucius let out a pained shriek, ripping the harnesses from his legs with preternatural strength and falling to the ground. The blonde ignored the brutal pain that shot up his broken leg, dragging himself across the ground with strength he did not know he had in him. Lucius took no notice of the blood staining his light blue robe (_Gods, no, please don't let this all be Eliwood's_), clutching Eliwood's face in his trembling hands.

Lucius cried at dimming eyes of his friend, begging him with meaningless words to _please, please, don't _and so many other demands that they all melded together into some senseless cry for survival. The blonde barely heard the sound of running feet, not the sound of screaming and swearing, his short quick breaths the only sounds in the world. A small part of his mind knew that he was hyperventilating, but the rest was a screaming, roiling mess of pleas to the heavenly beings and Eliwood to just hold on a second longer, because someone was going to come and save the day, someone always did. They had to.

Hands gripped his shoulders, trying to pull him away, but the blonde screamed and fought and dragged himself back to Eliwood's side. Voices were shouting unidentifiable things, vials of something exchanging hands, and then someone was pressing something to Eliwood's mouth. There was a weight suddenly placed in his hands and, an eternity or a second later, a heavy hand hit his cheek, wrenching him back to reality.

Dark eyes watched him shiver, a voice he knew well ringing in his ears. That voice had declared promises of revenge, shouted war cries, whispered his name reverentially, and now it calmed him, soothing his frantic spirit.

"Lucius," Raymond said sternly. "Focus."

Just like that, the world rushed back into focus, a cacophony of sounds accompanying it. Hector was kneeling behind Eliwood, clutching his friend in his arms and tipping back his head as he poured an elixir down his throat. Serra and Pent, both with mend staffs, were praying over the lord's body, which was glowing from their combined magic. Lyn was crying off to the side, Florina's broken figure held tightly in her embrace, and all the commotion was drawing a crowd to the spectacle. More gasps and exclamations of shock and horror, because this was different, Mark had led them so skillfully that they had miraculously fought without any causalities, and Lucius trembled at the idea that their luck just might have run out.

"Lucius," Raymond said once more, drawing Lucius away from his fears. The hero was clutching one of the blonde's hands in his own, and Lucius was startled to see that he had been handed a mend staff of his own. "_Focus_."

The blonde swallowed his fears down and nodded, his lover lifting him from the ground. Without even asking, Raymond carried him over to Lyn and Florina, and a small warm glow grew in Lucius chest that his lover knew him so well that he did not even have to ask to know what he wanted.

Lyn watched them in confusion as Raven set Lucius carefully on the ground, the blonde smiling tiredly as he began to pray. Florina's broken body was soon bathed in the same light as Eliwood's, and Lucius smiled softly at the surprised woman.

"Do not worry," Lucius murmured, both to Lyn and to himself. "Everything will be alright."

As the army drew together around their two injured comrades, some sporting injuries of their own, Lucius could only pray that he was right.

* * *

"...I see."

The admission broke the silence of the cold room. It spoke of a desire for revenge, of bloodlust and a dark spirit, the undercurrent of hatred causing no small amount of glee in Sonia. Brendan, to the side, had his fists clenched in his lap, and Sonia almost sneered; the pathetic man looked like he was about to cry.

"I will kill," Linus trailed off, his eyes lit with an inner fire, a drive that had Sonia's painted red lips lifting in a haughty smirk, "all those who have harmed my brother."

* * *

Oh, _Eliwood_. ;_;

This chapter was so much more violent than I expected. Jesus, I almost killed Eliwood like seven times over, sent Lucius on a killing spree, pushed Florina to the brink, cut off one of Vaida's arms, and almost let the fox kit die.

I mean, I love the chapter and I'm not changing it for anything, but God that was bloody. Florina got her Crowning Moment of Awesome, I got to flesh out a few more characters, I had a larger amount of fluff then I thought I was going to have (damn you, Matthew/Guy!), and then - boom! Eliwood's being gored. Mood whiplash, anyone?

I'm almost afraid to ask what people think of the chapter. Too bloody, too violent, not enough Lloyd, definitely deserving of a M-rating? Well, even I think I might have to bump this up a rating, but still; I want to hear what you all thought. Did you think I went overboard, or have I portrayed the fighting as it should be?

Ah, whatever. If you want to tell me, then you will. I don't like begging for reviews (though I love receiving and responding to them) because I don't think it changes anyone's mind; if you were going to review then you will, and if you weren't, having someone beg for them certainly isn't going to change your mind.

So I'll just leave you all with a great big thank you to all my reviewers, regular or not, and a thank you omake for all your work making me feel like a damn good writer.

Thanks guys!

Ariaeris~

* * *

Not canon-compliant. At all.

Also, spoilers. And stupidity. And a general attempt to make this chapter a little less depressing. Swearing too; lots of it in fact.

* * *

It was nighttime, and the members of Eliwood's Elite sitting around a roaring campfire, munching on scads of Lowen's decadent cooking. The hair-malfunctioned paladin had outdone himself this time, and all of the military rations, dried meat, and slightly stale bread were thrown together with the finest of skill. Even spoiled little epicureans like Eliwood and Priscilla were hard-pressed not to acknowledge the sheer magnificence of Lowen's cooking.

As everyone knows though, good cooking makes for good thinking, and Nino, being the widdle tween genius we all know and love, had been eating up to her bunny and daisy filled brain. As such, the green-haired sage experienced what amounted to her first actual epiphany somewhere between washing down some moldy meat with some rancid water.

"Gods above," Nino gasped in wonder, all of the army turning to look at her. Despite the fact that the thirty plus army was around one fire, meaning that it must have been a big fire and therefore everyone would be pretty far apart, they all could hear her; just because. It makes the plot easier that way.

"What's wrong, Nino?" Lloyd inquired, trying to subtly shift his hand closer to Eliwood's. A thrown hand axe from the Pheraen lord's other side ruined whatever subtly there was to begin with, not to mention Hector growling viciously at the blond swordmaster.

"I just realized," Nino said, voice still dazed with awe. "That none of us ever say _anything_ anymore."

"Hm?" Canas hummed, looking at the teenage girl at his side. "Why would you say that, Nino?"

"There, don't you see!" Nino exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "This is the first time in days that I've heard you speak. In fact, ever since we stopped having our random in battle conversations that lead to familial revelations, we have not spoken once to each other!"

"Why, that's preposterous," Canas replied, his monocle flashing in the firelight. "Of course we have spoken since then."

"Name one time," Nino challenged, pointing at the druid imperiously. The scholar flubbed around for an answer before falling silent, stunned that he could not remember a single instance of conversation between him and his new found relation.

"See!" Nino exclaimed. "Besides Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector, we all barely talk. We just stand around, running from battle to battle, fighting and killing random people. Sure, we might say something when we first join the army and maybe if we are lucky we might get some more speaking lines, but we're screwed after that.

"In fact, if I didn't have my random, in-battle conversations with you, you, you, you, and you," Nino declared, pointing at Erk, Canas, Rebecca, Merlinus, and Florina. "-the only people in the army I would have ever spoken to are you, you, you, you, you, and you!" This time, Legault, Jaffar, Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Lloyd. "How the hell is that supposed to increase army morale!"

"Language!" Lloyd snapped, glaring at Nino momentarily.

"Oh, what, I can kill our former companions but I can't swear?" Nino asked, blowing a raspberry at her brother, totally undermining her entire former maturity. "Like I was saying though, how does this army even stick together when no one talks to anyone else?"

"That's not true," Eliwood rebutted with a small frown. "I've talked to pretty much everyone here, multiple times in fact."

"Yeah, you talk to everyone, but you're a main character," Nino replied. Mark, sitting with Wil and Guy, cleared his throat loudly, apparently irritated with the shot against the fourth wall. "You can talk to whatever you want. But are there any cases of other people in the army who aren't main characters talking to other non-main characters?"

"Yes, there are!" Eliwood answered. "There was the entire scene where you met Priscilla; that had a whole bunch of talking."

"Not to mention just this chapter," Hector added, sending Mark into coughing fits. "There was a whole shitload of both inner monologue and dialogue."

"There are also support conversations between people who aren't 'main characters' as you called them," Lyn mused, rubbing light circles on Florina's lower back. The Pegasus knight giggled, causing Lyn to send her a quick smile. "Not to mention scenes that focus on other characters, such as Farina's section this chapter."

"Yeah, but that is Ariaeris' work, not actual Fire Emblem cano-"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Mark shouted, cutting off Nino's reply. "Do you see that?" Mark roared, pointing at the bewildered readers. "See the cracks on their computer screens? That is the fourth wall that YOU ARE BREAKING. How the _hell _is Ariaeris supposed to write a believable Fire Emblem story if you all go prancing around, gleefully pointing out silly little things that are never pointed out in canon?

"Huh, no answer? We'll here's one: _shut the hell up_. Ariaeris is not, was not, nor ever shall be a worker for any company associated with the Fire Emblem series. Therefore, there will be no forthcoming answers like why practically no-one ever makes a speaking cameo more than two chapters after their recruitment that does not directly affects the main storyline. Nor will there be any answers as to how we somehow carry around tents when we can barely carry around a weapon and some little bottles and our ever-so-important merchant man can barely fit a measly one hundred items into his by now wagon.

"There is also not going to be any appropriate answers as to why we never see anyone bathing, eating, expelling any form of bodily waste, or doing anything that normal human beings are wont to do. You all are _freaking video game characters_. There is no correct response. We just sit back and assume it happens, and that is that. So stop with the fucking fourth wall breakage; it's getting really fucking annoying."

The campground was silent, everyone staring in horror at the out-of-breath tactician. Nino, tears in her lolicon-licious eyes, carefully stepped out from behind the wide-eyed Jaffar's back, hesitantly tiptoeing into Mark's line of sight. Blazing grey eyes wrenched a frightened squeak out of her trembling body, but she mustered up enough courage to ask one more question.

"Can you at least tell me where the dead go when they die? They just seem to fade away…" Nino trailed off, seeing Mark's seething glare. "Oh gods above, please don't kill me!"

"That's it!" Mark shouted, thrusting his hands up into the sky. "GAME OVER!"

Rocks fell. Everyone died.

And so Ariaeris finally came to the conclusion that some questions are just not worth asking. A moral was learned, and everyone went home mildly bemused.

The End.

* * *

Ps: I don't hate Vaida.

Pps: The reason why non-main characters do not have any speaking roles following their introduction is because there is no way that the game can be certain that the speaker would be alive; they could have died in battle. If that happened, we would be having conversations with dead people, and this isn't the _Sixth Sense._


	8. Chapter the Eighth

This story became a lot more mature when I wasn't looking. I'm honestly surprised; this isn't angst, nor will that ever be the focus of this story, but damn; even I wasn't expecting the seriousness of last chapter. This was supposed to be romance, a slow and unsteady path towards happiness, and instead I got a chapter split between fluff and war gore.

Not fun; still, I'm back to focusing on the lighter side of things this chapter. Hopefully. First we have to deal with Eliwood and how his injuries have affected both him and his companions. Not to mention Florina being just as badly injured, the army undoubtedly frazzled by the near deaths of two of their comrades, and a lot of insecurity on the parts of a lot of people.

But there is fluff! WAFF! You know, that stuff that makes you sick to your stomach after watching/reading it for too long. It's just… a bit less than usual. Actually, a lot less. But there is some!

So read on, and don't worry about this becoming like, Neon Genesis Evangelion levels of angst and Nightmare Fuel and confusion. This story is _nothing _like that. I mean, it's fairly merciful. See the title? Yep, I could have written a huge angst-fest filled with blood, tears, sex, and gore, but it (would have turned out horribly) is much more enjoyable to write something that isn't loaded down with (Teenage) Hatred For The World ™. Yay for mercy.

Enjoy~

* * *

Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe (though there are hints of its continued existence), Swearing, Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, Angst, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Rath/Wil, Pent/Louise, potential Oswin/Serra, potential Matthew/Guy, potential Kent/Fiora, potential Sain/Priscilla, potential Jaffar/Nino, Others to be determined.

* * *

_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 8: Never Stopping, always Moving_

_Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved._

_- Helen Keller_

* * *

There was only silence in the camp that night.

The crackling campfires, once cheerful beacons for battles hard-fought and glorious victory, no matter how small, cast shadows on the silent warriors. Some had their heads bent away from the fire, guarded within their arms; others stared unceasingly into the crackling embers, as if they would offer some form of solace. A few were buried in the arms of another; no one had the strength to start an argument as people started gravitating towards their loved ones, seeking comfort in the form of the person most precious to them.

The tall trees of the forest they now called their base cast shadows that flickered with the firelight. Stony faces were interspersed with the sound of soft crying, figures moving silently to go and comfort those who had no one to comfort them.

The wind carried a chill throughout the army. People paused, shivered, and fell still once more. There was no reason to move; not now. They could wait a little longer.

It was a familiar ritual, despite the different location. From Lycia to Nabata and even now to the Kingdom of Bern hidden away in a forest they had fled to in the wake of their recent battle, the army, as small and fragile and ragtag as it was, came together when one of their own was in danger.

Many in the army did not get along with each other; some held grudges, others sought vengeance, still more just didn't click or were annoyed with someone else. Different cultures and views of the world clashed. The difference between nobility and peasantry was an ever-present reality that chafed the two groups. But they, as fragmented as they were, came together to form an army that fought for something greater than that which could tear them apart.

Upon their shoulders lay a great destiny, one that would enable them to save the world. Every member had doubted their mission; to save the world? From the dragons of old? The idea seemed ridiculous; something out of a child's tale.

It was true though, and it was what united them. Kept them going, even after innumerable setbacks, loss, and against overwhelming odds. Even now, as the army sat together in silence as they waited to hear on the status of two of their own, many acknowledged silently the bond that had been created within the group. Never before had many of them believed that their hearts would be beating furiously and their palms sweating with nervous fear as they awaited any news on the health of a Pheraen lord and an Ilian Pegasus knight.

Yet here they all were, worried in their own ways about the health of a man and a woman who, normally, they would never have met before. It was ridiculous, unbelievable even; but so was their mission.

A tent flap shifted, the sound magnified by the silence broken only by the crackling embers of a slowly dying fire.

Together, three figures stepped out of the tent, supporting each other. Dark rings circled their eyes, evidence of their exhaustion. The silver-haired man, his long hair long since taken out of its normal ponytail, held a nearly unconscious pink-haired woman on one arm, and a stumbling blonde on the other. He shifted, the blonde stepping away only to be encircled in his lover's arms. An older man stepped up next, his normally stern face creased with a worried frown as he accepted the cleric into his embrace.

The silver-haired man paused then, gave a tired nod accompanied by a smug, satisfied grin, before collapsing into the arms of his worried wife.

There was silence once more.

And someone sighed, and the trance was broken, and there was more crying than there was before, but now there were silent cheers as well. Grins, embraces, and kisses were exchanged, hearts a bit lighter soared, and hope was reborn once more. A blue-haired prince and a green-haired lady both stood, exchanging teary grins, before rushing into the tent the three miracle-workers had just left.

A blond swordmaster chuckled lowly, biding his time. His moment would come; until then...

He threw a stick into the fire, watching as it flared victoriously.

* * *

Mark shifted outside the tent that marked Eliwood and Florina's resting place, trying with all his might to temper the guilt that was roiling within his heart. The rest of the army had dispersed, settling down for a long deserved rest, their worries soothed for the night. Only a few people lingered around the fire, speaking in hushed whispers so as not to disturb their resting companions. One person though did not partake in any of the soft discussions.

The brunette tactician peered over his shoulder, grey eyes meeting somber gold. Lloyd stared unfaltering at Mark, conveying something with his eyes that he could not say in words. In those eyes were confusion and a small hint of fear, overshadowed by a more all-encompassing gratitude. The last emotion caught Mark by surprise, but the brunette shook his thoughts away. He had enough on his plate at the moment without worrying about ex-Fangs and their emotional problems.

Mark jerked his head towards the tent, silently asking Lloyd to join him. The swordsmaster shook his slowly, and Mark frowned; looked like he would be going alone for now.

The tactician sighed, removing his heavy green cloak while bending down to enter the tent. Two sets of solemn eyes met his own, and Mark nodded once. Hector turned back to Eliwood without sparing him another glance, but Lyn held his eyes; Mark almost winced at her gaze. He could understand if she was angry at him for putting Florina in danger, furious even, but the disappointment in her eyes hurt worse than any anger ever could.

He turned to Florina first, fully aware of Lyn's continued gaze. He looked at her with a critical eye, slightly disgusted with himself that, while checking to see if she was alright, the analytical part of his mind was calculating her worth in future battles. Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Lyn shifted, drawing the Pegasus knight to her chest. Mark's eyes flickered to the lady's, and he was forced to reconsider his previous realization; the cold emptiness there hurt even more then the disappointment.

Mark tore his gaze away, unable to look at the two any longer. Instead, he stumbled over to Eliwood's side, kneeling down beside Hector. The Ostian lord held one of Eliwood's hands in his own, stroking his friend's knuckles absent-mindedly.

"How is he?" Mark asked, breaking the heavy silence that had hung over the party since the conclusion of their last battle. Hector shifted, and Mark was slightly amused as the movement nudged the redhead's head towards Hector's lap.

"Okay," Hector said, clearing his throat as his voice cracked painfully. Lyn and Mark politely pretend to ignore the rare show of tender emotion from the man. "Or, at least, I think so. He has not changed much since I arrived."

Mark nodded silently; if Eliwood's, and Florina's given Lyn's lack of objection, stability had lasted for almost a half-hour, then they would most likely make it through the night. The tactician dropped his chin to his chest, remembering the litany of injuries the two had obtained that Lucius had managed to list off before Raven had dragged him away. Most of the bones in both of Florina's legs had shattered, her nose had been broken when her opponent had gotten in a lucky punch, and her spine had been fractured from when, apparently, she had been tossed through the air by a blow to the stomach, which had damaged some internal organs. Though Lucius had assured him that he and the others had managed to heal Florina completely, Mark's mind catalogued all the damage that could have occurred, from dismemberment to paralysis to death.

Eliwood, on the other hand... Mark had not missed the slightly guilty look on Pent's face as he had left the tent. Eliwood had been pierced through the stomach once and through the chest twice, which had ruined both his lungs and had damaged his heart as well, not to mention all the damage his spine had taken. One of his arms had almost been destroyed by only a_ glancing _blow, and he had almost lost the use of a leg for the same reason. Countless bones had been broken, partially from the near-slaughter and partially from dragging his injured body along the ground.

Mark shot a dirty look at the spear resting a few feet away from Eliwood. That same spear had almost killed Eliwood, and Mark shuddered at the thought. He knew of the rumors about his preternatural luck, about how he led his army into battles without a single casualty, taking down armies no group should be able to. Those rumors made the situation he was in right now so much more painful; he had almost lost two of his soldiers, two of the people he had grown to trust, two of his _friends_.

And yet somehow he had managed to drudge up enough luck for his army to survive whole once more, even if it was not unscathed. Still, it was a blessing; the fallout would come later, but for now, he could rest with the fact that, somehow, someway, they were all still together. Tomorrow, the consequences would come: no doubt he had lost the trust of quite a few members of the army, if not for his seemingly reckless orders then for finally pushing them past the breaking point, and there was still the matter of the two's recovery. Eliwood would most likely need therapy which they just couldn't give him after experiencing what Pent had called, his face marred with horror, a cycle of constant instability, caught between killing strokes and life-saving magic that left him unstabilized and his mind unsteady, and there was still the chance that Florina's injuries would cost her more than she could give.

Mark sighed, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees. The gesture made him look younger than he was, and he was barely able to push back the same guilt that had threatened him earlier, the emotion threatening to crush him. For now, he could count his blessings, but the tears pooling in the corners of his eyes served as a constant reminder of how few and fragile they truly were.

* * *

The campfire looked no different bathed in sunlight than it did in darkness, Lloyd though absently as he waited for the army to slowly begin its awakening. Unlike the others, he had remained awake the whole night, dreams and fears plaguing him and keeping him from sleep. Not to mention his bed had been taken from him; or, he supposed, it had been taken back. It was rightfully Hector's after all.

Lloyd's hand clenched and unclenched reflexively as he sat, his eyes closed as he thought of the various ways his life had been changed in the span of less than a week. How many... not even five days ago, he had been with his family, safe and secure with his mission, his goals, and his life plotted out for him. He had lived with the Fang and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would undoubtedly die with the Fang.

Lloyd groaned, threading a calloused hand through his short blond hair. An unforeseen circumstance; what a way to describe the Pheraen man who had barged his way into his life.

Not even a week and he was beginning to question himself and his devotion to everything that had made up his existence; not even seven days and he could see why Legault had been enthralled by the little ragtag group (and hadn't that been the Fang as well, at one time many a year ago?), could see how they could defeat time and time again every force they were confronted with.

It was an indescribable force that kept the army together, that drew them close to each other, surpassing such unnecessary things as anger and mistrust and disloyalty. They were a cohesive force, something that fought, and lived, and maybe even someday would die as one. There was a higher purpose in this group, something that empowered their step and lingered in their eyes, something that had colored Eliwood's blue eyes a breath-taking sapphire that had startled him when they met on the battlefield.

Something had occurred, was occurring in this group of people of different backgrounds, different cultures and ideals, something that both fascinated him and made him wary. It was will-bending, soul-enrapturing, and even - Lloyd would admit - a little frightening. It was something that one could get swept up in, like a God's proclamation of a divine mission.

He did not know what mission drove them, but Lloyd could already feel it, growing deep within him. It felt good; he would almost call it righteous, but he didn't particularly like that oft-abused word. It reminded him of the Fang, back before it had turned so dark and dismal, when they thought they could bring a world ruled by justness and not corrupt nobles and self-satisfying lords that cared more for themselves and their own wealth than the lives of the people they were supposed to protect. It reminded him of the camaraderie he had shared with his brother, his father, with Legault and Uhai, with Ursula and so many others, back before it all went sour and the dreams that tasted like nectar on his tongue turned to ash.

And, somehow, it felt like more.

Lloyd ground the heels of his palms into his eyes, ignoring the green-haired cavalier that was puttering around, preparing breakfast. He couldn't believe his line of thinking; his treasonous thoughts. Betrayal was the worst kind of sin to the Fang, and Lloyd could already see that the act would be just as frowned upon here, though perhaps not as harshly punished.

And yet still he wondered, wondered why this felt so much more right then the Fang ever did. His heart was like a balance, precariously tilting, differing weights on each side. On one hand, he had his family, the only family he had ever known, as well as everything he had ever worked for. It left a bitter taste in his mouth that he could even imagine leaving them, but...

On the other hand, there was temptation, a devious and unearthly temptation. The idea that he would not have to always look over his shoulder, wary of being stabbed in the back by one of the Fang's less noble members. The thought that he could share in what this army had, the loyalty which had brought three unlike individuals together for the sole purpose of helping another, the loyalty which had drove seven people to put their lives potentially on the line for three of their comrades. The words his mind had whispered to him as the red-haired lord had offered him a weapon in order to _protect himself_, when just a day before he had accused him of being a liar and a hypocrite.

It was illogical, dangerous, and he honestly couldn't even begin to believe he was considering it, but as each second ticked by, his doubts about the Fang grew larger and larger. He was by no means blind, he had seen the darkness they had fallen into and which he doubted they would be able to rise out of, and yet...

_Who are we to pass judgment on the commands given us? We are the jaw that bites. We act without question._

_The Fang's judgment cannot be undone._

That was what he had told Eliwood. And to think, he had had the gall to call _him_ the hypocrite.

There was a rustling sound, dragging Lloyd from his thoughts. The swordmaster was mildly alarmed to see that the clearing had gained quite a few more occupants during his musing - had his senses dulled that much? - before he turned towards the noise.

Holding onto Hector's shoulder, Eliwood limped out of the tent, and Lloyd winced; the Pheraen lord looked horrible. His dull eyes were encircled by dark smears speaking of long nights of restlessness (had they been there, concealed only by bright eyes?), and his face was pale and haggard. He held a death grip on his oldest friend's arm, shaking in the wind, looking as if he was going to be blown over at any moment. The Ostian's cape was wrapped around his shoulders, making him look even frailer than he already was, and even though he wanted with all his heart to look away, Lloyd kept a close eye on the duo as the stumbled towards the messy circle those who were awake had formed.

His perseverance was rewarded as Eliwood met his gaze, his blue eyes lightening into a soft sapphire that spoke of relief and happiness. Lloyd wondered what he had done to garner such a reaction, but he pushed the thoughts away as Eliwood nodded to him before leaning more heavily on Hector. The blue-haired man stopped and glanced down at his friend, a silent conversation passing between the two.

A moment later, Hector's brow creased with something - irritation, Lloyd thought, or maybe hesitancy? - before he lead Eliwood to Lloyd's side. The swordmaster was startled, but he edged to the side, making room for Eliwood to sit on his right, Hector sitting on the lord's other side.

Silence reigned over the camp until Lloyd reached for the plate of food that Lowen had, at some point, placed in front of him, and offered it to Eliwood. The Pheraen accepted it with a broken chuckle, eyes glittering with slight playfulness, and some silent message passed through the air as conversations once more flowed through out the campground.

"I'm glad you are still here," Eliwood whispered, a smile curving his lips, and Lloyd was startled for a moment to realize that he was as well.

* * *

"You know, I am not going to shatter if you let me go," Eliwood said with an irritated huff, annoyed with the two men hovering around him. Hector and Marcus had been worrying over him ever since he had woken up, constantly lending him a helping hand whenever he tried to so much as walk. Though he appreciated their concern, it was getting just a trifle tiring already.

One of Hector's eyebrows rose, and Eliwood growled softly. He knew he did not look good; no one would after nearly being killed who knows how many times, but he hadn't exactly been the healthiest person in all of Elibe beforehand either. He had always been thin (no matter how much his instructors tried to convince him that 'lithe' was a more proper term, probably because that implied some deftness of step that could be useful in battle, Eliwood knew that until he had hit puberty, a strong wind could have sent him flying) and he never gained much natural muscle like most other men, preferring less physical ways to occupy his time than swinging around an axe or sword. As such, he had grown into a fairly willowy young man; good for handling a light sword or rapier and evading foes, but not exactly the best kind of stature for combat - whether the opponent was man or disease.

He fell quickly and easily to sickness, something that had worried both his parents and his best friend, and his pale skin bruised easily. Eliwood raised his wrist to eye-level, scowling slightly at the lily white skin; just one of the many characteristics of his noble breeding. Not only did he bruise, but he scarred as well. His hand trailed absent-mindedly to his stomach, which a large scar now resided; a prize from where that demonic rider had impaled him to the grand doors of the Bern Keep. Though Pent and his aides had managed to heal most of his scars, that strike had been too deep and too vicious for them to eradicate completely.

But just because he injured easily did not mean he needed two watch dogs trailing him around! The two were a constant presence, making all conversations he had with others incredibly awkward. He had barely managed to get in two sentences with Lloyd before Hector's eye-daggers had ended the conversation as soon as it began.

Eliwood chuckled slightly, reminiscing on how Hector's infamous glare had gotten them both in and out of trouble so many times, the action causing his bruised ribs to sting. He didn't mask his wince fast enough, and Eliwood was tempted to order the smugly satisfied smirks off both of their faces.

"Okay, I am injured. Sick. Bereft of health. An invalid. Is that good enough for you two?" Eliwood asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew he was acting like a brat, but he supposed that he could attribute it to his near-death experiences. Or to his newly acquired stalkers; both reasons were equally as valid.

"Not at all," Marcus said sternly, Hector nodding along with his words. "You should be resting, not walking around camp. You're still healing and pushing yourself too far and too soon will only make your situation worse."

Eliwood sighed despondently, hearing the wisdom in his friend's words. "I feel so useless just sitting around though. Everyone else is doing something, while I get to do nothing? How fair is that?"

"It's not about fairness, Lord Eliwood," a new voice said. The three turned to greet the speaker and Eliwood's face fell as Pent and Mark stopped in front of them, knowing that he would find no allies in the two. "It's about your health. Sir Marcus is correct; you should be resting alongside Florina. In fact, I believe I gave specific orders not to allow you out of bed in the first place." Pent glared at Hector, causing the blue-haired lord to stutter something about breakfast and hunger before falling silent. "Your health is of great important to us, Lord Eliwood."

Eliwood's mouth quirked in a bitter smirk. "Why? Because of who I am?"

"No, because Lucius, Serra, and I worked long and hard to bring you back from the brink of death and I would rather not have out work go to waste." Eliwood blinked, stunned by the blunt response, before hanging his head. He had deserved that one; who was he to complain about still being alive?

"You are right, all of you. I am just being stubborn." Eliwood threw his head back, letting sunlight wash over his face. He breathed deeply, calming himself. As soon as he got back to his tent, he would meditate; he was long overdue anyway. "I have been acting immaturely. I apologize."

"There is no need to apologize; just go and rest for awhile. That will be enough of an apology," Pent said with a calm smile.

"I'll bring him back," Mark piped up, the other four turning to look at the tactician. "What? Someone needs to go with him to make sure he doesn't wander off, Eliwood don't glare at me like that, we all know you would if you could, and I believe Lord Pent wanted to talk with you two anyway. Toodles."

And with his monotonous farewell, the tactician grabbed Eliwood's arm and started dragging him back to his tent, the lord all the while shouting his goodbyes to the bewildered trio.

* * *

"Mark!" Eliwood exclaimed, dragging the tactician to a halt.

"What is it now, Eliwood?" Mark asked impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground. They didn't have any time to waste if they still wanted to retrieve the Fire Emblem in time for the prince's coronation.

"Just give me a second," Eliwood panted, bending over as he wheezed. "We were practically sprinting! How did you expect me to keep up with you?"

Mark grimaced as he turned away, making a conscious effort to hide his impatience. He should have known better then to push the lord so soon after he had been injured.

Eliwood sighed as he finally caught his breath, looking around the section of the forest Mark had led them into. It didn't look that different from the clearing they had claimed as their campground, but Mark would not have just led him out into the middle of nowhere for no reason.

"Okay, want to tell me why we are here?" Eliwood asked, running a hand through his hair. He mentally cursed; when would his body stop shaking so badly?

"Because I asked him to bring you here."

Lloyd leapt off the branch he had been standing on, landing beside Eliwood with a soft thump.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Eliwood scowled, rubbing his chest lightly. Lloyd didn't reply, silently examining Eliwood's form.

"Someone's playing mute," Mark muttered, pulling out his ever-present novel as he leaned against a tree. "We couldn't talk earlier, with your guard dogs around, but this is far enough away that we should be left alone. Right, Lloyd?"

Lloyd ignored the tactician, who huffed slightly in annoyance. "…Are you alright?" Lloyd asked Eliwood, slowly circling the lord. Eliwood blinked and shivered slightly as he felt Lloyd's gaze trace his back.

"Lord Pent spent the entire night working on Florina and me," Eliwood replied, turning to face Lloyd.

"That does not answer my question," Lloyd countered, reaching for Eliwood, but the nimble lord danced away.

"What? Is this an interrogation?" Eliwood questioned, stopping beside Mark. "Then give me a chance to ask you something in turn. Why did you want to talk with me? What is so important that you could not tell me it in front of Hector and the others?"

"The Fire Emblem we need is stored in the Fang's headquarters, right?"

"How…?" Eliwood turned to Mark in confusion.

Hector told me and I told Lloyd," the tactician answered.

"Why? I mean, no one else has been told yet, so why would you tell Lloyd?" Eliwood asked quietly, a foreboding feeling telling him that he would not like the answer rising within him.

Mark smirked, his grey eyes flashing. "Who else would lead us to the Black Fang's headquarters?"

Eliwood whirled around, staring at Lloyd who was looking at nothing. "What? Are you serious?"

Lloyd's eyes flickered towards him before he looked away once more. "I do owe you…"

"You saved my life from that deranged man back near those three fortresses," Eliwood hissed, gesturing jerkily at the swordmaster. "And if you can make it through a few battles, then you can make it on your own; you do not need any more sanctuary. I release you from any debt you might owe me. You owe me nothing!"

Lloyd froze, realizing the opportunity Eliwood was offering. From the sharp crack of Mark's book closing, the tactician realized it as well.

"Eliwood, you are being foolish," Mark chided, and the distraught lord growled at him under his breath. "Lloyd's offering to take us to the Black Fang's headquarters, so that we can retrieve the Fire Emblem, bring it back to Queen Helene, and finally be on our way. The situation is better than I could have ever hoped for. It's practically perfect."

"It's only perfect because you made it that way!" Eliwood turned to Lloyd, stalking towards him. "Has Mark threatened you? Manipulated you in any way? You do not have to do this if you do not want to."

"Eliwood, you're not being rational," Mark sighed, and Eliwood spun to face him.

"Mark, shut up!" Eliwood exclaimed, and the tactician started from the normally composed lord's venomous glare.

"I'm not being manipulated," Lloyd said quietly, crossing his arms over his chest as he shifted anxiously. He still refused to look at Eliwood, instead glaring in Mark's general direction.

"Then why are you doing this?" Eliwood asked, his mind torn in confusion.

Lloyd paused, closing his eyes in concentration. "I just… still want to be here."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit!" Eliwood shouted, making the two other men jump. "Didn't you call the Black Fang your family? Didn't you call Nino your sister? We're going to be marching in there and isn't going to be some damn peace conference. What if someone you love dies? What if Nino is there and she dies? What are you going to do then!?"

Lloyd turned and began walking back to the camp, feeling every word like a blow to the heart.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Eliwood cried, but Mark grabbed his arm before he could chase after him. "What the hell are you doing!? Let me go!"

"Eliwood!" Mark stumbled forward from the force of Eliwood's jerking. "Calm down! You are in no state to talk with Lloyd right now."

"I don't want to talk with him! I want to beat some sense into his thick head!" Eliwood finally broke away from the tactician's grasp, but Mark called after him before he could leave.

"Why confront him at all, Eliwood? Why would you want to change his mind?"

Eliwood paused, looking over his shoulder at the tactician.

"Why can't you see that this is perfect?" Mark continued. "So perfect that I could barely even believe it when Lloyd proposed the idea."

"It isn't perfect for him," Eliwood murmured, feeling the energy rush out of him. He knew Mark was right, but…

"It wouldn't be, no matter what happens." Mark stepped forward cautiously. "It's like you said; people are going to die. You know that, and I know that, but more importantly, he knows that as well."

"That doesn't explain anything though," Eliwood muttered, falling back against a tree. "What reason could he have for doing this?"

"Maybe it's as simple as he says. Maybe he simply doesn't want to leave."

"Dammit, he doesn't owe anyone anything. Not anymore." Eliwood sighed, looking at the forest floor. "He doesn't have to sacrifice anything for anyone."

"Then this is just what he chooses to do," Mark said simply.

"Why?"

Mark paused before forcing the painful admission out. "I don't know."

Mark stopped at Eliwood's side, hesitantly clasping his shoulder. "We are leaving in three hours. Compose yourself, and I'll send someone for you soon. The army can't afford to see you so out of control."

"Mark?" Eliwood inquired softly. "You said that Lloyd offered to take us to the Fang's headquarters, right?"

"He did," Mark confirmed.

"But you also told me that you were the one in the first place who told him that that was where we needed to go." Eliwood paused, glancing over at the other man, who was looking away, his face shadowed. The lord chuckled ruefully. "You never do anything without a reason, Mark. You truly are the best tactician out there; you never get anything less than what you desire, do you, Mark?"

The tactician flinched slightly and Eliwood smiled mournfully. "I have only one question though, Mark? Did you ever, even for a second, think of any way to get to the Fang's base other than manipulating Lloyd?"

Mark sighed slowly, leaning back to stare at the sky. "…No, Eliwood. I didn't."

Eliwood slowly slid down to the ground, resting his head on his bent knees.

"Eliwood?" Mark asked, making a halted gesture as if to sit beside the lord.

"Please send someone in an hour, Mark," Eliwood said quietly. "I will be ready to go by then."

Mark hesitated before nodding abruptly. "As you wish."

The tactician quickly left, trying to shake off the feeling that he had done something horribly wrong.

* * *

See, no physical abuse of Eliwood in this chapter. Just some mental and emotional abuse. And there was some fluff, somewhere, under all the depressing stuff. Maybe. If you look for it. Kinda.

…None of this makes up for the four month hiatus, does it? I'm sorry about that; honestly, I've been so focused on other things that time just… slipped away. The last scene was just so hard to write though! I mean, it was Eliwood breaking emotionally. We all knew it was going to happen, and this is just the first time, so I had to make it especially surprising. I still don't think I did it justice, but if I keep this chapter offline any longer, I think I would never be able to finish. At this rate though, I'll be lucky if I finish it before college does.

If any of my readers are still out there, let it be known that I never abandon anything! I know I've said that before, but I think I definitely need to say it again after the long break. Hopefully that won't happen again, though next chapter is going to be a bitch to write. More on Legault and how he is handling, and then there is how Mark is going to be treated by the army and how Eliwood is coping now that he's finally worn himself too far down.

Interesting stuff, to be sure, but so hard to write. And maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to set up the battle portion of Chapter 27 for chapter ten. That should be fun, especially deciding if Karel or Harken should be recruited. Or maybe I'll just take the middle route… Who knows?

In any case, remember that I love reviews and I absolutely love reviewers. Even if you don't review though, I wish you all happy holidays and a happy new year!

Now, onto the omake; Christmas style!

Ariaeris~

* * *

Canon-compliant? I don't think so, bub. In fact, it's an AU of an AU, specifically it's FE: 7 in a modern-day 'verse with AMoM influences. Confused? Don't think on it too hard. Just read and try to enjoy.

Also, be wary of actual slash. It's only an itty-bit, but it's there!

Enjoy~

* * *

"Lloyd? Eliwood? Where are yoooooou?"

Lloyd groaned as Nino's high-pitched voice broke through his peaceful dreaming, and he tried to bury his head under one of his pillows. Unfortunately for him though, Eliwood, who was resting on his chest, made the maneuver exceptionally difficult.

"What's going on?" Eliwood mumbled sleepily, trying to burrow his nose into Lloyd's bare chest before yawning. "Why do I hear Nino so early in the morning?"

Lloyd cracked open a bleary eye, moaning painfully as the crimson LCD clock burned itself into his retinas. Once the pain passed though, he focused on the glowing numbers of doom.

"Fuck," he sighed as he rolled over, pinning Eliwood beneath him. Ten-thirty already?

"Not again," Eliwood pleaded, and Lloyd chuckled lowly as he slowly awoke.

"And here I though you were insat-" the older man began to say, before he was cut off by their bedroom door slamming open.

"There you are Ll-OMG, naked people!"

Eliwood and Lloyd froze, staring in horror at a scarred-for-life Nino. Slowly, ever so slowly, Nino's lips curled into a devious grin that sent shivers up the two men's spines.

"Did little old me interrupt some quality time between the two love birds?" Nino asked innocently, batting herself lightly on the head. "Whoopsie. I'll just leave you two alone for now. Have fun!"

Nino closed the door with a bang, and the two didn't unfreeze until her delighted giggling disappeared into the background.

"That," Lloyd said slowly, "was incredibly humiliating."

Eliwood sighed before chuckling ruefully. "At least it can't get any worse."

"Guys, you'll never believe it!" Nino shouted at the top of her lungs. "Lloyd and Eliwood are fucking _right now!_"

The two froze once more as they heard a dropped plate shatter from the apartment above theirs.

"WHAT!?" Hector screamed, and Eliwood groaned as he hit the wall with his head, denting it magnificently. Lloyd leapt off the bed, dragging his lover away from the poor wall and tossing a pair of pants at him.

"Quickly, before they decide to investing-"

Once again, he was cut off as the bedroom door slammed open, revealing the four last people the two had ever wanted to seem them intimate.

"Oh," Lyn gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to hide her snickering.

"_My,"_ Legault sighed, ogling the miles of Eliwood's pale flesh and Lloyd's tanned, hard muscles.

"GOD!" Hector and Marcus shouted, storming into the bedroom with murder in their eyes. Lloyd let out a quite unmanly squeak and dived behind Eliwood, who had crossed his legs to hide his nakedness.

"Um," Eliwood began, shifting slightly as Hector's furious glare turned dumbfounded as he stared at him. "Could you all please leave? We are, you know, naked."

"We know," Legault leered, and Lloyd growled as he wrapped his arms and legs around Eliwood, trying to hide him with his body. "Wait, don't start without me!"

Marcus caught Legault mid-leap and began dragging him out of the room, leading a stunned Hector out as well. Lyn, who had lost the fight to hide her mirth long ago was being pushed out by Mark (when had he arrived!?) and Nino shut the door with a cheery farewell.

"How about we not forget when we all are going Christmas shopping next time, okay?" Nino said through the door, shrieking when one of Lloyd's boots slammed into it. "Meanie!"

Lloyd and Eliwood listened to her scamper off, sighing heavily when her light footsteps finally grew too soft to hear.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to leave this bedroom again," Eliwood said, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment.

"You know, that's not a bad idea at all." Lloyd chuckled, tucking Eliwood's head under his chin. The younger man frowned slightly at the feel of the other's stubble, but he kissed Lloyd's neck anyway.

"At least that's all over with," Eliwood said optimistically, and Lloyd smiled into his fine hair.

"Not that it could have gotten any worse."

"Well, your brother could have been he-"

"He was what!?" Linus said incredulously before laughing up a storm. "Good going, brother!"

Lloyd sighed as Eliwood groaned lowly, before deciding to make the best out of a bad day. After all, who could stay mad for long when they had a naked Eliwood in their arms?

* * *

If that is an _itty-bitty _amount of slash, then what do you think hardcore porn is to me? Ponder on those scary thoughts…

I think we all sorely needed some fluff after all the angst lately. Actually, I think we all just need Lloyd/Eliwood fluff in general, don't you agree?

Anyway, review please? Wouldn't that just be the best Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza/Other holiday present _ever_?

Pwease? I've been a good writer this year, Santa… /sarcasm

Ariaeris~


	9. Chapter the Ninth

You know, this is the only fic I still write author's notes for in both the beginning and end of the chapter. It's actually a little odd how long these can get; out of about a ~8000 word chapter, anywhere from 1500 to 2000 words are spent just on the beginning and ending notes (as well as the omake and omake ending notes). I consider them well spent and I hope everyone does too.

Anyway, what can I say? Updating sucks as usual, but I'm still determined to see this story to its conclusion. And look! Actual plot development! Lloyd takes the PoV once more! Nino gets some time in the spotlight too! And, um, Jaffar is badass? I don't think I have to tell anyone that, but...

These notes are ending up shorter than I expected. Oh well, guess that means that you all will just be able to read the chapter sooner than expected! So...

Enjoy~

* * *

Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six canon from this work's universe (though there are hints of its continued existence), Swearing, Violence, Mature material, OOC-ness for the sake of poor humor and plot continuation, Angst, etc.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Rath/Wil, Pent/Louise, potential Oswin/Serra, potential Matthew/Guy, potential Kent/Fiora, potential Sain/Priscilla, potential Jaffar/Nino, Others to be determined.

* * *

_**A Moment of Mercy**_

_Chapter 9: Barely Remembering anything at All_

_Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well._

_- Josh Billings_

* * *

It was a long time before Eliwood had composed himself enough to return to camp, but as soon as he was able to plaster a smile, fragile as it was, on his face, he made his way back to the campground's clearing.

"Eliwood!" Hector shouted in relief as he sprinted over to the young man's side, Lyn right beside him. Eliwood"s heart clenched at the naked worry on both their faces, but he shoved those feelings away with practiced ease. "Where the hell were you?"

"I am sorry for worrying you," Eliwood said calmly, and both of his friends faltered at the redhead's composure, confused by the lord's sudden shift in mood. "I just needed some time on my own to think some things through. Please forgive me for my selfishness; I know I have delayed us even more than we already were."

Lyn sighed in relief, smiling wearily. "It's fine, Eliwood. We were just worried when Mark returned without you and refused to say where you were. Hector was about to lop his head off, he was so worried!"

Hector ignored the noblewoman's teasing, but Eliwood's smile became a little more genuine at the light dusting of crimson on his best friend's cheeks.

"Really, now?" Eliwood asked lightly. "Seeing as how Mark is a vital part of this army, I am glad I returned when I did. It would be quite annoying to try and find a new tactician this far into our quest."

"I wasn't going to kill him," Hector muttered lowly.

"Just maim him a bit?" Lyn smirked, poking the axeman on the chest.

"Only if he didn't talk!" Hector protested, and Eliwood slipped away with a small, sad smile as the sound of his two friends' bickering faded into the background.

* * *

Jaffar didn't make a sound as Legault slammed him against a tree as soon as they were out of their companions' sight, nor did his icy, deathly gaze waver as one of the thief's knives pressed against his neck.

"Why," Legault hissed, his teasing personality gone without a trace, "are you following Nino?"

Jaffar was silent, staring into thin air as if all the secrets of the world lingered, unseen, over Legault's shoulder. The lavender-haired man frowned contemplatively as he watched the young assassin, pressing the sharp edge of his dagger into the pale flesh it rested on.

"You know, Jaffar," Legault said casually, and the assassin tensed imperceptibly. "You're not the only one who can be heartless." Legault grabbed one of the younger man's hands in his own, tracing the callouses that spoke of harsh training and innumerable deaths. He put pressure on it, watching emotionlessly as it bent grotesquely before breaking with a sharp snap, small fragments of bone piercing through the death reaper's hand.

Jaffar didn't even flinch.

"Nino is very dear to me," Legault continued, grabbing one of the fragments and wrenching it out of Jaffar's hand with a flick of his wrist. "To see you, Nergal's little killing machine, by her side; do you even know what that did to me?"

Jaffar didn't answer, and Legault smirked before continuing. "It _terrified _me. How long had Nino been with you? Had she been hurt? Had anyone seen her at your side, because you know as well as I do that that is as good as signing your own death warrant? All these thoughts and more raced through my mind in the one instant our eyes met back in that bar."

Legault smiled cheerfully as he impaled Jaffar's hand, relishing the slight wince it caused. "I'm a very cautious man, Jaffar; I don't particularly like danger, even less so when it's the ones I love who are in it. And every second she is with you, Nino is in more danger than she has ever been in before, something I do not find particularly pleasing."

Legault slammed a hand against the assassin's neck, crushing him to the tree, which groaned under all the force. "So stay away from Nino, and we won't have to have another discussion like this for a long time, okay?"

Legault easily slipped back into his trickster persona as he released Jaffar, skipping away while whistling a jaunty tune and leaving the young killer more shaken than he had ever been before.

* * *

"Are we still on track?" Guy asked tiredly, leaning heavily against Marcus, who, like all the other cavaliers, was leading his horse by the reigns carefully over the tricky terrain.

"According to that swordmaster we are," Matthew answered easily, but his sharp eyes were tracking the blond's every movement.

"Stop being so suspicious, Matthew!" Serra shouted, wringing one of her wet pigtails dry. Nils had bumped into her yet again, though a conveniently placed snowbank had cushioned her fall. Or perhaps inconveniently, seeing as how the temperature had been steadily dropping the closer they got to the Fang's headquarters.

"Someone needs to be!" Matthew argued. "Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that this guy knows not only where the 'secret' headquarters of the Fang are, but also knew beforehand when we were going to be attacked by that lake?"

The group silently comtemplated the thief's sensible words until Lucius cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself.

"I trust Lloyd," Lucius said firmly, mildly surprised that the words were not even mildly untrue. Though he had been wary at first, the White Wolf had grown on the blonde as they had traveled, treating him with respect in the few small chats they had managed to have whenever Eliwood had been called away by someone else.

"Why?" Raven asked quietly, honestly confused by his lover's faith in the other man. A small frown crossed the hero's usually impassive face at the thought.

"Because Lord Eliwood trusts Lloyd and I trust Lord Eliwood," Lucius said simply.

Matthew sighed, knowing that he had lost the battle for the moment. Marcus trusted Eliwood implicitly, which carried over to trusting Lloyd as well. Oswin wouldn't make a fuss because Lord Hector wasn't, and Serra was the same at the end of the day. Raven would follow Lucius with a little grumbling, and Lyn had already struck up a fast friendship with the blond swordsman, Florina following her friend shyly but accepting Lloyd's presence. Not to mention that Guy was practically infatuated with the man's masterful swordmanship, something that left a bitter taste in Matthew's mouth.

He may have lost the battle for the moment, but he just knew somehow that Lloyd wasn't what he seemed. Even if no one believed him, he would still be on guard. Who cares if he was labeled a paranoid bastard? He had already lost someone he loved to the Fang and he would be damned if he let another one die due to being careless.

* * *

"This is really risky," Lyn whispered to Eliwood as she helped him climb over a particularly large rock. "I thought you didn't want anyone to know who Lloyd was."

"This was not my decision," Eliwood replied quietly, eyes flickering over to the silent tactician.

"I thought Mark wanted Lloyd's identity kept secret as well," Lyn said in confusion.

"Maybe he did," Eliwood said dissmissively, shaking his head. "Lloyd's privacy is less important than retrieving the Fire Emblem though in his eyes."

Lyn kept silent, not able to disagree with Mark's priorities.

Eliwood sighed and pat his kit, who was resting on his shoulder, muzzle buried in the lord's crimson hair. The fox yipped, nuzzling his fingers. "I suppose I'm just a little worried for Lloyd."

"I'd be a little more worried about ourselves," Lyn muttered, looking away sheepishly at Eliwood's curious gaze. "It's just, Lloyd was one of the Four Fangs; who's to say that he's not leading us straight into an ambush?"

Eliwood hummed, closing his eyes. "From a technical point of view, you have a valid point. Normally, I would not be so trusting of a man who had once tried to kill me. Lloyd though..."

Eliwood opened his eyes, crystal blue eyes blazing with quiet will and determination. "I trust Lloyd, and so, I will take that risk."

Lyn watched her friend silently, a small smile gracing her lips. Eliwood, too focused on the whispered conversation going on between Mark and Lloyd, missed the quick, knowing look she and Florina shared.

* * *

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Mark asked monotonusly. "Or are you just leading us in circles for no reason?"

"Neither," Lloyd said shortly, irritated by the tactician's constatnt presence.

"Oh, good. For a second there, I thought you were lost."

Lloyd snorted contemtuously. "I am not lost."

"I'm so reassured," Mark muttered, his nose in his crappy romance novel. "Honestly!"

"What?" Lloyd said sharply, brushing some snow that had landed on his head out of his eyes. He glared at the innocuous looking tree branch that had deposited its freezing load on him, sure that somewhere, someone was mocking him.

"Esmerelda's mother just appeared out of nowhere to blast away an enemy that was about to strike the spunky protagonist down. The current qualtity of writing leaves much to be desired." Lloyd stared at Mark increduously. "What? It was a genuine plot contrivance!"

"_This _is the group that always got in our way?" Lloyd shook his head sadly. "I am deeply ashamed."

"Hey!" Mark snapped, hands on his hips. "That's my tactics you are mocking! I'll have you know that my minions are the best of the best; heroes, in fact!"

Lloyd glanced behind him, watching a shrieking Serra try to beat an apologetic Barte to death with a mend staff, Louise and Rebecca giggling softly to each other as Guy stared at Pent in awe as the sage made lightning dance around him, and Farina acting like the money whore that she was as she constantly resold Merlinus things that she had stolen from him at increasingly higher prices.

"Whatever you say," Lloyd muttered, thrusting his cold hands into the pockets of the jacket Eliwood had given him. He winced at the though, sneaking a peek at the red-haired lord who was staring off into space.

The swordmaster honestly didn't know what to feel about the situation he had landed himself in. Eliwood had been right; he didn't particularly want to bring the party to the Fang's headquarters, especially if Nino was there. Linus and his father could take care of themselves, and he had no doubt that Ursula and Jan could slip out unnoticed if they were there, but Nino... Nino couldn't hurt a fly without feeling guilty, and everytime he thought about how she would feel after her first kill, his stomach rolled and he felt nauseous.

Even with that fear though, Mark had backed into a corner, mercilessly preying on his uncertanties. It had all been so simple for the tactician; get Lloyd alone, drop a few hints here and there and bemoan the loss of their best chance of retrieving the Fire Emblem (which was in the bitch's possession, according to Lyn), and then reveal his ace and play on Lloyd's growing attatchment to some of the army and his growing distaste with the current state of the Fang.

Lloyd's fist clenched nearly hard enough to draw blood. Mark had mainpulated him with casual ease, bending him to his will without lifting a single finger. Even when Eliwood had offered him an out, Lloyd had been unable to accept it, not even when Eliwood lost his famous composure and started screaming at him, hurting him more than Eliwood could have known.

He wanted to be here. That was the simple, painful truth that Mark had exploited without hesitation or remorse. It was a testament to how manipulative the tacttician could be, but Lloyd could see why the green-cloaked man could do what he did without a single regret.

Mark thought that, no matter what, if he opposed Nergal, then he was in the right. Nergal wanted to destroy the world; to oppose him and try to save the world naturally made Mark the better man, no?

Lloyd had seen what that kind of mindset could do to people though, and no matter how much Mark seemed to care for his army, the swordmaster couldn't help but fear the critical moment when, in the tactician's eyes, they would change from men to pawns.

The precedent had been set; men with power grew to lust for more and more of it until they were consumed with desire. Only time would tell if Mark could stave off that craving or if he would fall off the edge that, in Lloyd's eyes, he was dangerously perched on.

* * *

Nino listed absent-mindedly to Priscilla's chattering, appreciating what the troubador was trying to do. The somber woman had been trying to cheer her up ever since the skirmish at the bar she had found Legault in, but Nino's mind was too caught up in what she had done to even feign her normal cheeriness.

She had finally killed someone. Took someone else's life. It had been so simple too; recite the chant she had long since memorized from watching her mother, focus on the target, and then it was over. On to the next target, rinse, and repeat.

It scared her how easy it was. She had known forever that to join the Fang like the rest of her family she would eventually have to take someone's life, but she... She had always thought that it would be heroic, something glorious like the warriors in the stories Linus would tell her before she fell asleep. That she would be avenging the common people from a dastardly, villianous noble, that she would be hailed as a savior - no! A goddess! A champion for the oppressed! - and then Lloyd wouldn't seem so weary and Linus' smiles would be more real and Father would laugh like he used to and Mother would finally look at her with pride, and maybe, if she did really well, even give her a hug.

Nino whimpered, drawing closer to Priscilla as she tried to stifle her tears. The older girl paused and reached back, laying a hand on the young mage's shoulder.

It hadn't been like that at all. It had been sickening; sickening and it was horrible, and her entire view of the world had changed with that man's dying shrieks, and she hated that most of all. Because she was off-balanced and a murderer (but so was everyone else she knew, especially Jaffar, but she didn't hate them, not like she hated herself right now, she could never) and didn't know what to think, and...

Nino smiled bitterly, the expression too old to belong on her innocent face. She was too young for this. Too young for battle, too young for warfare, too young for killing, too young, just like everyone had told her and that she had refused to believe.

All she knew was one thing: she had killed someone, but she had rescued Uncle Legault as a result, and that was good. Even if she felt disgusted with herself, what she had done had been right. And even if she would hate herself more and more with every person she killed, she would continue to do so, so long as it was to protect her precious people.

She wondered if the battle had somehow matured her, but she couldn't help but feel that she was nothing but a child way out of her league.

* * *

"Legault?" Heath asked, staring quizzically at the thief who had stopped walking in favor of observing his surroundings.

"How did we end up here?" Legault whispered, cursing quietly as he saw Jaffar perk up out of the corner of his eye. It took the assassin less than a second to figure out where the were, and Legault watched the younger man warningly. Jaffar shook his head quickly and Legault smirked, making his way over to Nino.

"How are you feeling?" Legault asked quietly, and Isadora almost choked on air at how tender the lewd man sounded.

Nino looked up from Priscilla's shoulder, her eyes red-rimmed. "Tired, Uncle Legault."

Legault smiled softly, not even scolding Nino for the odd title she had given him. "Do you know where we are?" he whispered to her, trusting Priscilla, the only one close enough to hear, to not say anything.

Nino peered around, forehead wrinkled in though. "This place looks familiar, but..."

"We're near headquarters," Legault murmured, and Nino started. "If you want, I can drop you off there. It'll be simple to make up something to tell everyone so you can leave."

Nino's eyes watered, but she shook her head furiously.

Legault frowned. "You'll be safer at headquarters, Nino."

"But you won't be there!" Nino cried, drawing the rest of the party's attention. "I've been so worried for you, Uncle Legault! You never visit, even though you promised me you would, and you never send me letters or anything! Linus, Lloyd, and I; we're always so worried that your hurt somewhere, or worse. So please... Don't leave me again. Not yet. Please?"

Legault blinked, stunned by Nino's emotional response. Guilt quickly overcame him, and he had to look away. Had he really hurt Nino this much? It wasn't like he ever meant to, but events always conspired against him, preventing him from meeting with his 'niece.' It wasn't like he could just pop into headquarters whenever he felt like it as well, with the whole 'abandoning the Fang thing' that would result in his immediate execution on sight. Still...

"Don't worry, Nino," Legault murmured, petting Nino on the head. "I won't leave again. We'll all be together: your brothers, you, and me."

Nino glanced over at Jaffar, who was watching the entire scene expressionlessly. Legault sneered, clutching Nino to his chest protectively, but the young mage did not look away from the assassin.

"Jaffar too?" Nino asked quietly, as if afraid of the lavender-haired man's answer. The thief froze, but he was saved by a sudden heaviness crashing down on top of them. It drove the air out of their lungs and they were flung through the air, landing on the cold, unforgiving ground a few feet away.

"What was that!?" Sain exclaimed as he leapt to his feet, trying to right his panicked horse. Erk and Priscilla shared a look before the young man spoke.

"It felt like we were caught at the edge of a ward being set," Erk said, and the small group looked at him curiously.

"A ward?" Isadora asked, frowning as she cautiously got to her feet. "On what side of it are we on?"

"The wrong one," Erk muttered, flinging a weak fireball at it. The flames licked the invisible walls ineffectually. "Wards are designed to either repel things, contain things, or both. This one was meant to entrap and contain."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Kent asked as he helped Fiona to her feet, handing her the lance she dropped.

"Logically. We were caught when the ward was conjured, right at the edge, and we were flung away from it."

"Sounds more like a 'stay away' then a 'don't leave' to me," Sain said.

"Perhaps," Erk admitted. "It's hard to explain. If this was a ward meant to keep people out though, then why were we only moved away? We all felt that weight; it could have crushed us, and yet it did not. It drew us in."

"Trapping us?" Legault asked.

"Exactly."

"We're in the middle of nowhere!" Sain exclaimed. "There's nothing to draw us to! Some hermit with a few spellbooks caught us tresspassing and shoves us off his lawn. Why is that theory any less reasonable than yours?"

"There is something out here though," Priscilla said softly. "Is that not so, Legault?"

"What?" Heath asked. "Where have you led us, Legault?"

"I haven't led us anywhere!" Legault exclaimed. "I just... got a little lost."

"A little lost?" Priscilla questioned, a delicate eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Legault looked at her warningly, silently cursing her. Damn, was he really so rusty he was getting backed into corners by pacifistic troubadors? If this continued any longer, the others would discover that Nino was part of the Black F...

Legault's eyes widened in shock. Priscilla _had _manipulated him. They both had deduced that they had been trapped near the Fang headquarters and that it was his fault they had stumbled across it. Either he would have to own up to his error and lose the trust of the others or Nino would, and who knows what would happen when that revelation came to light. There really was only one thing he could do now that everyone was waiting for him to answer.

Legault almost smiled. Damn surprisingly manipulative redheaded nobles.

"We're near the Black Fang headquarters." Legault jerked at the sound of Nino's shaky voice, swearing mentally. "I asked him to bring me here."

"What!?" Sain cried, backing away from the young girl. "W-why?"

"I think that's pretty obvious," Heath said darkly, reaching for his lance.

"Dont even think about it, Heath," Legault hissed as he stepped in front of Nino.

"Get out of my way," Heath spat.

"Are you going to kill us both?" Legault asked softly, fingering the hilt of one of his more hidden daggers.

"Aren't you trying to kill us all?" Heath asked, and Legault saw his eyes darken in pain. "You were always playing around, acting friendly and nice, but in the end, you were planning on betraying m-our trust this entire time!"

"I swear, Heath, this is nothing like that. Please just listen to me," Legault begged.

"Give me a reason to," Hearh said harshly.

"This isn't Legault's fault!" Nino cried. "I made him! Please, don't hurt him!"

"No one is getting hurt, okay?" Legault snarled. "This is just a misunderstaning; if you'd just let us explain..."

"Wait a second," Isadora said slowly, eyes wide in revelation. "If Nino is a Black Fang member, then why would Lord Eliwood send us out to recover her?" Isadora whipped out her sword as Legault froze. "Answer me! Have you been manipulating Lord Eliwood? Answer me before I kill you where you stand!"

"What? No!" Legault exclaimed. "Of course not!"

"Then explain yourself!" Isadora demanded. Legault swore to himself as the situation rapidly deteriorated. Could he take all of them? Jaffar might help, if only to protect Nino, but he didn't want to put too much trust in the young assassin. And even if he could take them, did he want to? No, there were people he had grown to like here, like Isadora and Heath, but ...

Legault nodded solemnly as he unsheathed his two main daggers. For Nino's sake, he could do this.

"Please stop," Priscilla said softly, but no one gave her so much as a glance. "Stop; please. We shouldn't be fighting with each other!" She turned to Erk, who faltered at the sight of her tear-filled eyes. "Erk, please."

The mage sighed gustily, murmering something about his lack of willpower when it came to his charges. "Priscilla is right. We have more important things to worry about than Legault and Nino's allegiances."

"What could be more important than defending ourselves from traitors in our midst?" Heath demanded.

"That hurts, Heath," Legault said dramatically, masking the stab of pain that had coursed through him at the wyvern rider's accusations. "You're practically breaking my heart."

Heath's cheeks pinked, and Legault resisted the urge to smile.

"Please stop flirting while I'm trying to save your lives," Erk admonished, making Heath's blush darken. "As I was saying, I would be more concerned with whoever laid these wards then Legault. Just take away his weapons; we can determine just what is going on after we are free."

"I'm liking this plan," Legault whirled as he unlatched the belt around his waist, throwing it and his daggers in front of him. "Much better then the ones that ended in me dying. I knew you were a smart one, Berky."

Erk twitched violently. "It's Erk."

"Huh. Is it really?" Legault teased as he subtly slid a few stilettos in some of his more-concealed pockets.

"I think I'd know best by now," Erk replied drily.

"If you say so." Legault shrugged and pointed at Jaffar. "Dont forget to take his as well. Unlike me, he's actually an active member of the Fang."

"You heard him; hand them over," Heath ordered, and Legault quirked an eyebrow as the usually reserved rider slipped nearly seamlessly into the role of a commander. Much like Eliwood, the slight awkwardness revealed that the role did not suit him naturally, but experience had given him a certain adeptness at it, enough so that the others were already looking at him for guidence.

Silent as ever, Jaffar calmly removed all his weapons and placed them in an obsessively neat pile in front of him. The group's eyes grew larger with each dagger and vial of poison that seemed to sprout from nowhere, until the assassin finished with his pile of deadly weapons nearly waist-high.

"Where did he hide all those things?" Isadora whispered disbelievingly, looking to her side and almost having a heart attack as she saw the blatant shock and confusion on Rath's face.

"I don't know, nor do I ever want to," Legault answered, cautiously toeing something that looking scarily like a broadsword, which was crazy, because the thief shouldn't have been able to carry it, let along conceal it on his body.

"You too, Nino," Heath said, eyes softening as he watched the sobbing girl. "Nino..."

"I'm so sorry, U-uncle Legault," Nino said through her tears. "All I ever do is get in trouble. I should have just kept my mouth shut."

"None of that, Nino," Legault chided. "You were trying to help me - save my life even! - and I could never be angry with you about that. Don't cry, Nino. Everything will be alright. I won't leave again." Legault paused and looked at Jaffar for a long moment. "Neither of us will. Promise."

Even with her cheeks stained with teartracks and eyes red and puffy, the smile Nino gave him then was nothing short of gorgeous.

* * *

"Why is it always us?" Hector asked rhetorically as Kenneth teleported away. "Seriously, it's like everyone has some super secret plan to try and kill us."

Eliwood sighed from where he was comforting Ninian from when she had sensed the mad bishop's wards forming. "We are the only ones who know what they are trying to do."

"We're the only ones fighting against them," Lyn added, checking that her Mani Katti was attatched to her hip firmly.

"Not to mention that we are up against a madman and his group of pet assassins, Lord Hector," Marcus continued, swinging himself up onto his horse.

"Assassins that specifically target nobles, no less," Oswin grumbled, tossing a new set of knives in Matthew's direction and handing Serra a stave.

"Face it, Lord Hector: targets don't get much better than us," Matthew finished with a Cheshire grin.

"Just once, I would like the target to just die right in front of me from a convenient heart attack. Is that too much to ask?" Hector said, hiking his axe up on his shoulder. "We're due for some good karma anyway."

"I don't think we'll have any of that today, my friend." Eliwood murmured, watching some Fangs rush into position, drawing their own weapons threatiningly. "Mark? Do you have a strategy?"

"I'm going to be with you today, Eliwood. Lyn, Lucius, Lloyd, Raven, we'll be the main force. Matthew, I want you and Guy to unlock as many rooms as you can find and take out whoever's in them. Rebecca, provide back up for them. Lord Pent, do you have your key?"

"I do," the Mage General confirmed.

"Good. Lousie and and Ninian, go with him. Hawkeye, cut a swarth straight to the farthenmost building. Serra, heal him as necessary. We'll defend your backs, but don't hesitate to retreat if you get in over your head."

Mark looked around at his company, seeing the grimly determined looks in everyone's eyes. "Let's end this quickly then. My only other order is this:

"Don't die!"

* * *

It has been a whole year since I first began posting this fic. God, how the time flies.

Next chapter is going to be an action-packed one. I need to replay that chapter over again, but I think it's actually going to be really fun writing chapter ten. So, you already know that Kenneth is the boss of Eliwood's fight, but who do you think he will recruit? Karel for the added tension to the Matthew/Guy tiptoeing going on, or Harken for the Isadora-angst and possible happy ending? Who knows what I'll decide on (well, besides me that is)?

I don't think I have anything else to say except that Legault is not, in fact; Jack Bauer in disguise; they are only half-brothers.

On to the omake!

* * *

**Look for an update coming in the next two weeks; it is an extra long omake!**

* * *

And a little extra thing I chuckled at while typing up when I was bored.

* * *

Pain. _Pain. _**Pain.**

"Oh my God," Eliwood groaned, instinctively clutching his head and hissing at the pain it caused to even move, let alone slap his hands against his aching head. "What happened?"

Eliwood looked blearily around his dorm room, shrieking at the mess he saw and then shrieking in agony as the sound reverberated painfully inside his head. Innumerable bottles of alcohol littered the stained rug floor and his desk, and the entire room reeked of cheap booze.

"This is exactly why I promised Mother I would never drink in college," Eliwood murmured, curling up in a fetal position. "I don't think my head'll ever be the same."

"Oh, stop your bitching." Eliwood froze at the deep, slightly-familiar voice grumbled from somewhere to his right. "Too damn loud."

Gulping, Eliwood slowly turned over and stared at the man in his bed, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Oh God," Eliwood whimpered, rocking back and forth slightly. "Oh God. Of all the people to drunkenly sleep with, I sleep with my lover's little brother. Oh God, oh no, I've woken up inside Mark's bad romance novels!"

Eliwood broke down into tears, Linus watching bemusedly as Lloyd silently entered the cramped dorm room, looking at the sobbing redhead inquisitively. Linus smirked, mouthing 'you're in love with a psycho' to his older brother, who glared at him.

Eliwood started as a large hand landed on his shoulder, relaxing instinctively as it began rubbing in _exactly_ the right way and melting into a giant pile of Eli-goo. A pair of slightly chapped lips traced the shell of his ear, and the redhead shivered disgustedly at the day-old stubble rubbing against his cheek (most definitely not erotically, he would never claim that, no matter how good the bristly hairs felt against his sensitive flesh).

"Would you mind telling me why you and my brother are in the same bed?" Lloyd paused, allowing Eliwood's mortification to settle in before going in for the kill. "An explanation for why you are both undressed would also be greatly appreciated."

"It was the alcohol," Eliwood said quickly, embracing Lloyd tightly and shifting to sit on the blond's lap. "It is evil and disgusting, a thief of free will and personal choice, and even now it plagues me with the mother of all headaches."

Lloyd chuckled, tucking his lover's head under his chin. "Poor thing; you really can't hold your alcohol, can you?"

"Sorry," Eliwood apologized meekly, burrowing his face into the juncture of Lloyd's neck and shoulder. The older man smiled, carding a hand through Eliwood's hair

"Don't worry about it," Lloyd said soothingly, gently touching Eliwood's aching temples. "I'm the one who brought you back home and stopped you from doing something stupid. This is the first time I've had to tuck Linus into bed for years."

Eliwood laughed slightly as Linus ineffectually tried to lob his pillow at Lloyd, who watched him struggle in amusement. The redhead moaned at the blond's gentle ministrations, slowly falling back asleep as his migraine faded away.

"One more question though," Lloyd murmured, burying his face into Eliwood's hair and hiding his wicked grin. "Any reason Hector was in here earlier, cuddling you?"

Eliwood contemplated forcing himself to wake up and smack his chuckling lover, but his strength failed him and he fell back into slumber, Lloyd's low laughter and gentles kisses accompanying him into his dreams.

* * *

Oh Eliwood, why are you so much fun to torture?

As noted above, an extra-long omake will be coming out sometime in the next two weeks as a separate chapter, so be on the lookout for that. I would have added it to this chapter, but it would have bumped the word count up passed ten-thousand, which is a little too much in my opinion.

Remember everyone, today is my birthday (and this story's first anniversary!), so please be generous and leave me a review as a birthday present. After all, I can think of no other present better than knowing that your hard work is appreciated.

Thanks everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Ariaeris~


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